


Helpless Case

by MrHaleStilinski



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Angst and Humor, Crush, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Frottage, Homophobia, Humor, M/M, OOC Derek, Oral Sex, Rimming, Romance, Student!Stiles, Teacher-Student Relationship, teacher!Derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-21
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2017-11-19 05:18:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 127,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/569533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrHaleStilinski/pseuds/MrHaleStilinski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. Hale seemed like a great guy and an even better teacher. He had that I-can-create-change outlook that all teachers seem to have before students eventually beat it out of them. Stiles respected that, he really did and normally he would have been all for it but the constant series of awkward boners and constant mid-class fantasies made this a little difficult.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> This has been previously posted on FF.net for those who have already read it. Told from Stiles' POV

Stiles refused to look at Mr. Hale’s ass.

He was NOT going to look up. 

He wasn’t going to look up from his blank page to stare at the material impossibly stretched across the most beautiful butt he has ever seen. It doesn’t matter that he needs to take the notes that are being written across the chalk board. Once he looks up, his eyes are going to wander and all hope will be lost.

Stiles let out a groan and smacked his head off the notepad on his desk. This teacher was going to be the end of him. It’s bad enough that he actually needs this credit to graduate but so far Mr. Hale has made it impossible to concentrate with his disgustingly wide smile and the crinkled he gets in his nose sometimes when he laughs. Why did he have to start teaching this year? Why not next year when Stiles will be out of here and not have to be submitted to this form of slow torture. A form a torture that Stiles apparently liked to keep coming back to, he was such a masochist, he just couldn’t stop.

“Mr. Stilinski. There a problem?” Shit. Stiles begrudgingly looked up towards Mr. Hale, seeing the flicker of annoyance flash through his eyes. Mr. Hale unfortunately disliked Stiles or that’s how it seemed anyways, it’s not like he doesn’t have a reason because Stiles gave him every reason to not like him.

“Um—no, s-sorry, Sir,” Stiles managed to stutter out, trying to ignore the fact that the flare in Mr. Hale’s eyes made his pants tighter. 

“Well stop making noises and smacking your head off the desk and write down what I’m writing on the board, I don’t do it for my enjoyment; trust me.” Mr. Hale replied sternly, turning around and continued writing.

Stiles grabbed his pen and started to scribble down the notes on the board, concentrating hard on the words and only the words.

Mr. Hale seemed like a great guy and an even better teacher. He had that fresh out of university feel about him with his I-can-create-change outlook that all teachers seem to have before students eventually beat it out of them. Stiles respected that, he really did and normally he would have been all for it but the constant series of awkward boners and constant mid-class fantasies made this a little difficult. Stiles was sure that he was considered one those kids that teachers barely tolerate to teach. 

Due to his apparent uncontrollable attraction to this man Stiles took the minimalist attitude towards participation in class. He never spoke until he was spoken too, did enough work to literally get by and paid the least amount attention out of everyone in the room because the guys voice was hardwired to certain areas people shouldn’t be seeing full mast during school hours. Mr. Hale had taken notice to this of course (not the awkward boners) and Stiles has been suffering from it ever since. The man with a flare seemed to become that much more attractive and he tried his hardest to make Stiles contribute. Stiles hoped he was going to be labelled the helpless case soon and just be left to his own devices.

It was a new writing assignment, which was to design your own children’s book, story, pictures and all. Basically it was worth a good chunk of the semesters mark and Stiles really needed to pass it. Maybe he could write a story about the difference between wanting appropriate and inappropriate relationships. Stiles apparently skipped that chapter growing up.

The bell ringing snapped Stiles out of his trance of looking at the spot of discoloration at the girl’s shirt in front of him. He was debating on whether or not to tell her. Didn’t girls appreciate knowing things like that? Although she’d probably take it as some sort of insult but at least she wouldn’t be walking around with a blotch on her shirt thanks to Stiles. He decided against it, there was enough of the female population ignoring him, didn’t need one on the haters list.

“Okay class, I’ll see you tomorrow! Have a great lunch! Oh! Also—remember to brainstorm that ideas for you children’s book. I want to hear some great ideas tomorrow.” Mr. Hale said, sliding off the corner of his desk that was currently sitting on and started to move towards his chair.

“Stiles,” Mr. Hale’s voice broke though the mass of excited voices. Stiles looked up to meet his teachers green eyes and felt a shiver go down his spine, “Can you stay behind for a few minutes? I need to speak to you.” Stiles nodded dumbly, mouth slightly open. 

Licking his lips he started to gather his things and slip them into his school bag. Stiles was not going let his mind wander to places he knew he really wanted to go, a private confrontation about Stiles’ misbehaviour during a lunch hour; it was the start of a really bad porno. One he wanted to be in. He slung his bag over his shoulder and slowly moved his way up to Mr. Hale’s desk, watching the man lean back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.

Stiles stood there awkwardly for a few minutes trying to avoid eye contact with Mr. Hale until all the students finally filtered out of the classroom.

“I don’t know what to think of you Mr. Stilinski.” Mr. Hale finally broke the silence.

“I-I d-don’t know what you mean, sir?” Stiles would run for the hills right now if he could. This confrontation was actually making him nauseated. His intense attraction to this man mixed with the fact that Mr. Hale completely intimidates the hell out of him isn’t going well with him right now.

“No? Well, do you want to explain to me why you have A’s in all your other classes and you’re currently failing mine?” Failing? Stiles knew his mark was low but he would never let it get that low, would he? Stiles was at a completely loss as to how he could actually answer that. Sorry, I’m hopelessly in lust with you and I can’t stand to be here so the only thing I can do is ignore every aspect of you. Like that would work—would it?

“I guess I’m just bad at writing.” Stiles manages to squeak out, licking his lips nervously. Mr. Hale smiles, actually smiles and Stiles literally had lean back on the desk behind him before his legs gave out. 

“You’re funny, I got to admit that. Whatever the reason is I highly doubt it’s your ability to string words together.” Mr. Hale thought Stiles was funny, he could die happy, which will probably happen if he doesn’t get out of this classroom soon.

“’Cause you apparently ‘suck’ at writing,” Mr. Hale continued actually using finger quotes, “I have decided to make you my project for the rest of the year.” Stiles jaw literally dropped. This wasn’t going to end well.

“You are to meet me here lunch times or after school, at least three times a week, I know you’re on the lacrosse team so I’m willing to be flexible on the days but while you’re here, we can discuss the current projects that you’re working on. I will give you constructed criticism of course as well as some extra credit assignments to boost your mark back to an A.” Mr. Hale said happily, in an almost smug fashion. Stiles got bold, this wasn’t going to happen.

“If I say no,” Mr. Hale had leaned forward slightly, a subtle smirk forming at the edge of his mouth.

“You can but you won’t. From my understanding you need this course to graduate and I’m not going to let a student, who I know can do better, half-ass his way through my class.” Stiles was now desperate. The idea of spending that much time with Mr. Hale was horrifying; there must by some rule he is breaking doing this. Stiles will go to his father if he had too.

“I appreciate the special attention Mr. Hale but I seriously don’t need it.” Mr. Hale sighed and leaned back in his seat.

“The thing is Stiles is that you do need it. How about this? Once your grades pick up and you maintain them we can call it quits and you’ll be free from me,” Mr. Hale tried to reason with Stiles, trying to find some middle ground but Stiles wasn’t going to accept it, no way in this world. 

“Me asking is only a courtesy to you Stiles because your father was the one who contacted me about some extra credit and these were the terms we negotiated. He seemed rather smitten with the idea of it all actually.” Stiles was going to kill his father, Sheriff or not. He was not going to let him forget this for a long time. He knew that he father did this as sort of a punishment for Stiles to make up for all the things he always manages to weasel his way out of.

“Well, it seems I have no choice, when should the first meeting be?” Stiles grounded out, letting his annoyance with the situation shine through. If he was forced to do this he was going to be a child about it. He doesn’t care what Mr. Hale thinks.

“Lunch tomorrow, after class you can go grab something to eat and come directly here. Sound good?” Stiles nodded and Mr. Hale excused him. Stiles of course stocked out of the room, ignoring the chuckles from behind him. 

Not only did Mr. Hale have a nice ass, he was one.

\---  
Scott was of course giving him a confused look as he finally managed to make it to their table. Ten minutes later then he normally got there. Stiles lived for lunch, he was always the first to be seated and waiting for everyone. The arrangement with Mr. Hale was of course going to interfere with this.

“Hey dude! What was the hold up? It’s weird for you to be late for lunch.” Stiles gave him an exasperated look, immediately letting him know he didn’t really want to talk about.

“Mr. Hale wanted to speak with him after class,” Lydia’s voice decided to make herself known as she plopped herself down next to Jackson who was sitting next Danny. She smirked and continued, “Probably had to pull him aside and tell him that the way Stiles oogles him is inappropriate.” Everyone started to laugh, even Allison who was sat next to Scott, who was next to him. Stiles immediately took notice to how fast the smirk on Scott’s face faded. Stiles had recently told his friends about his certain attraction to men, more importantly his attraction to Mr. Hale. He probably would have left that part out if it wasn’t for Lydia being the beast she was teasing him about it constantly.

Scott hadn’t taken it to well. Stiles knew that, even though his best friend tried to hide it, but Stiles could always read him like a book. There was a change in their relationship after that and Stiles was having trouble trying to pinpoint what it was exactly, it was like Scott was retracting from him. If that made sense? Stiles wasn’t sure if Scott needed time to adjust. Stiles knew that coming out would have some downturns but he never thought Scott would be one of them. Scott, Stiles thought, would be the person to constantly ask him questions about different guys and why Stiles found them attractive. Instead Scott avoided the subject like the plague. Now that Stiles thought about it, they haven’t really talked about since Stiles had told him. Scott was still here though, that had to count for something at least.

“Ha. Ha. Lydia. Real comedian you are,” she did a bow, “he actually wants to do one and one sessions with me to boost my mark in Writing because apparently I’m failing.” Jackson snorted and Stiles rolled his eyes. He hated the fact Jackson sat with them now. Scott of course had to have Allison by his side, which meant Lydia, then Jackson and Danny. 

“Really Stiles?” Allison asked, sounding surprised. Stiles knew he was a brain so failing a course was kind of a big deal but given the circumstances he felt that he had a good excuse. Stiles nodded towards Allison.

“I don’t know maybe Mr. Hale has a little something for our Stiles here.” Jackson spoke up. Stiles barely contained a sneer. ‘Our Stiles’, like hell. 

“Highly doubt that, He nearly glared holes in me earlier today for not paying attention.” Stiles spoke and saw Lydia roll her eyes. Okay maybe it was an exaggeration but they don’t need to know that. He needs to have a chat with Lydia to let her know that just because they share the class together doesn’t mean she gets steal his thunder or tell everyone what happens. Mr. Hale keeping him after class being a prime example.

“Well Stiles you do have that cute, hyperactive, eccentric thing about you. Maybe that is what gets Mr. Hale going?” Danny speaks up and Stiles looked at him in utter disbelief. He figured Danny would be on his side. Danny winks and at him, letting out a little chuckle.

“I hate you all.” Stiles said, feeling his cheeks flush. 

He knew Danny thought he was attractive.

\---  
Stiles got home late that night because of lacrosse practice running late, extremely late. They all had plans to go see a movie afterward but everyone bailed because they were too wiped to even sit in a theatre and eat popcorn, which Stiles agreed, took more energy than what he had. Plus he needed to get started on that writing assignment. 

He had no idea where to ever start. Did Mr. Hale have an age limit? Stiles was never one for Dr. Seuss or any of those extremely kiddie books. He was more of a Brothers Grimm kind of guy. His mother used to read them to him as bedtime stories as a kid, makes no wonder why Stiles has such a warped sense of imagination.

He remembered how he would always have his mother read to him; sometimes hours on end and Brothers Grimm were his favourite tales. Even up until she died a few years ago, she would still read to him every now and then. Especially on rough days were he had been bullied. There was nothing that ever made him feel at ease then the sound of his mother’s voice reading to him. He kept her copy of the Brothers Grimm collected works on his bedside table to flip through when he missed her. This happened more often these days. Just imagining her reading those words to him set calm in him that nothing else could.

Stiles sighed and turned off his computer and jumped into bed. His dad must have been working the late shift tonight. This was perfectly fine with Stiles, he didn’t want him see him after going behind his back to Mr. Hale anyways. The silent treatment seems appropriate form of punishment; he said he was going to be childish about the whole thing so might as well go all out.  
A yawn formed up through Stiles’ chest and he figured he might as well head to bed, tomorrow was going to be a challenging day to say the least. Tossing his shirt and pants on the floor somewhere he got under the covers. He rolled over to turn off his lamp and saw his mother’s book lying on the table. A pang of loss formed heavily in Stiles’ stomach. He turned the light out reaching for the book. He held it against his chest, turning on his side. He breathed out heavily trying to will the tears forming in his eyes away. He imagined his mother’s warm voice and her hands running through his hair, reading to him, offering up the comfort that only she could ever give him. The feeling of safety he desperately needed and never knew he lost until she was taken away from him. Holding the book even tighter Stiles closed his eyes and slowly drifted asleep, clutching his mother’s book, naively hoping that when he woke in the morning, she’ll be there to read it to him.

\---

Stiles’ day so far had been pretty uneventful, well besides the fact he was going to give himself a nervous breakdown. There was no way it was normal to have this much anxiety over spending an hour with another person. Maybe it was just Stiles overreacting, no, it was clearly Stiles overreacting. He honestly just wanted to vomit all the Mothra-sized butterflies out of his stomach. It wasn’t like Mr. Hale was interested him in that way; it’s not like it’s a date or anything. It was strictly shop talk. Even with knowing all this, logic had left the building and Stiles couldn’t really shake the nerves. This whole situation was strictly platonic, even less then that because it wasn’t like Mr. Hale was his friend, just a nice guy doing his job and teaching young minds. Even with people like Stiles making his job extremely difficult.

Walking into his period before lunch, which of course was his writing class with Mr. Hale. That meant two hours of Mr. Sexy. Stiles hoped he could get through it without putting his foot in his mouth or in this case a limb or two. He tended to ramble a lot on a good day but the amount of nerves and emotions he was channeling, he was a time bomb waiting to go off.

Stiles took his regular seat in the back next to Lydia, who was applying some sort of lipstick. Hauling out his notepad and slapping it on his desk, she decided make his day just a little bit worse.  
“Excited for you big date in an hour?” Of course she would go there. It was Lydia and she is a beast.

“Seriously? Are you really doing this now?” In all honesty he hadn’t really expected any less from her. Since Allison came around, meaning Lydia by proxy, she had made it her goal in life to torment and tease him any chance she could. It was very pre-school of her and he was gay so it wasn’t like it was a damaged way of flirting.

“Please, you’re twitchier than normal, almost vibrating in you chair. You’re pale and you look like you’re going to be sick. Tell tale signs of a bad case of nerves. It wouldn’t be my duty if I never addressed this.” She smiled brightly at him. Stiles opened his mouth to retort but Mr. Hale took that moment to walk through the classroom threshold and if Stiles had any reservations about his sexuality, they immediately flew out the window.

Mr. Sexy took himself to a completely new set of standards and glancing over a Lydia, Stiles knew she agreed because her eyes did just as much roaming as Stiles’ has been.

It was Friday so teachers were able to dress casually and as much as Stiles liked Mr. Hale in a dress shirt and tie. The tight fitted black shirt, which literally showed ever inch of his toned muscular body with a pair of jeans that fit and complimented everything, had to be illegal. Come to think of it Stiles is pretty sure teachers were not allowed to dress like this, casual or not. 

“Damn.” Stiles heard Lydia mutter and Stiles immediately took this a victory, she now understood where Stiles has been coming from these past two months.

“What I wouldn’t do to be a fly on the wall when lunch starts,” She smirked over at Stiles, “’cause if you make it through the next two hours without causing yourself completely and utter humiliation I will be impressed.” Stiles had to literally control the urge to not get up and walk out because she was right. This is going to end badly, he was Stiles Stilinski and if that wasn’t explanation enough, he didn’t know what would be. He might as well off himself right now.

\---

It kind of hit Stiles about halfway through the class, that the best way to get out of this situation with Mr. Hale was to actually contribute. It was so painfully obvious that Stiles could have literally pulled his close cropped hair out. He knew his avoidance caused this mess but he can’t turn back time, if he could, he would have done this course last year and avoided this whole mess altogether.

He knew he dug his grave already, now it was time to get in it and dig six more feet. Stiles wasn’t going to deny that he wasn’t going to humiliate himself. If not today, then it would only be a matter of time. Take this very moment for example. Stiles hasn’t stopped staring at Mr. Hale, watching every inch of his body like a starved wolf. He was so hard it was painful and despite this being a constant occurrence, it wasn’t going to change the fact that his situation wasn’t going to get any better. The more Stiles contributed, whether it be a comment here of there, Mr. Hale will see this as improvement, which means this special attention will be over faster. There was no way Stiles was going through this without Mr. Hale concluding Stiles had a few quirks about him that set him wildly apart from a lot of people.

Stiles would also consider it a miracle if Mr. Hale doesn’t notice his apparent lust for the man and only the man.

“Before I get you guys go ahead with you planning and brainstorming. Does anyone else have any questions or comments? Anything else they would like to share with everyone?” Stiles couldn’t help but feel this was directed at him in some way. He knew it wasn’t but it just seemed like Mr. Hale was giving him a chance to insert himself in the class discussion before it ended. Stiles raised his hand meekly, not missing the surprised look that came across his teachers face before he nodded in his direction.

“Stiles.” Stiles let a long breath shudder out of him, trying to gather the words in his head before they came running out of his mouth.

“Is there a certain age group you expect us to aim towards? ‘Cause I have been thinking about writing something a bit more…mature. Not to mature, nothing sexual because it is a kid’s book after all. Not that being exposed to some sexual education at an early age would be a total loss, probably be able to avoid all these teen pregnancy shows,” Stiles saw Lydia cover her mouth trying not to laugh. He was rambling but Mr. Hale seemed more amused than anything. “That or cause more of them because of being so sexualized at such an early age.” Stiles needed to stop saying words with sex in them, especially with Mr. Hale looking at him, in that shirt.

“I was thinking something darker—probably a better way of putting it. Sort of like the Brothers Grimm tales before Disney glamorized them. With monsters and creatures and all those things…” Stiles licked his lips quickly and shut his mouth. Lydia had put her head in her arms on the table, probably not being able deal with the amount of embarrassment she was feeling for Stiles at the moment.

Mr. Hale kind of stood there for a second not saying anything, probably taking it all in and Stiles felt a burning hot heat rush over his face. He refused to make eye contact at this point; he knew his face must have been fifty shades of red. 

“Um—,” Mr. Hale began, probably not even sure how to respond to whatever Stiles just spit out at him. “Any age group is fine, as long as it is still appropriate for younger children. I still want there to be a lesson the kids have to learn or have something positive to take from it.” Mr. Hale nodded toward Stiles, smiling slightly and Stiles nodded back quickly, concentrating on anything he could find to distract him and quick.

“Anyone else?” Mr. Hale asked. There was silence around the room, “Good, now get to work.”

The rest of the class passed by a lot quicker than Stiles anticipated. Once he managed to calm himself down and completely avoided looking in Lydia’s direction because it was all she needed to make fun of him. He got a few ideas jotted down. He knew he wanted some supernatural creature as the main focus of the story. Maybe even the main character? He wanted the story to be dark, especially in the beginning because he really wanted to emphasis on the different between light and dark. 

Stiles heard the lunch bell ring; he grabbed his school bag and headed toward the front of the classroom. He caught Mr. Hale’s attention and just motioned to him that he was going to head to the cafeteria to grab his lunch. He nodded and Stiles bolted out of there. 

Getting his food he saw all his friends sitting at the table laughing and immediately felt a pang of envy, now being on the outside looking in, he was kind of upset that he was missing out. Reluctantly Stiles left the lunchroom and head back towards Mr. Hale’s classroom.

Stiles always knew he was different. Not extraordinarily different but just different. There were a lot of people that didn’t get him. His humor, his way of thinking or just how he was in general. He guessed that was why he wasn’t that popular. People just found him hard to really connect with him. Scott was the only one to who really understood him, to an extent. As they got older Scott had trouble understanding how Stiles actually functioned. Normally being with someone for so long you kind of get the ability to read them quickly and know what’s on their mind just by looking at them. Stiles knew Scott was an open book but when it came to how Stiles’ thought process was or how he managed to deconstruct things some times, he left Scott drifting in the wind.

The door was open and Mr. Hale was behind his desk. He looked up at Stiles and smiled at him, a reaction that Stiles never really expected. He told Stiles to close the door behind him and to take a seat in the desk in front of his.

The first thing Stiles notices when he walked into the room was Mr. Hale’s food choice. A bag of plain chips and soda; Root Beer to be precise, not that Stiles could really complain with his slice all cheese pizza but at least he grabbed a bottle of water.

Mr. Hale must have noticed Stiles staring at his lunch because he offered Stiles a chip from the bag.

“Just because I’m a teacher, full of knowledge and good choices doesn’t mean it extends to my food choices.” Mr. Hale laughed out and Stiles declined a chip, taking a small bite of his pizza. Stiles feels like this is going to be the same thing as dealing with his father, trying to make him eat healthy. Stiles figured if Mr. Hale was going to forced this on him, he was going to force good food choices on him.

“I can’t say much with a slice of pizza here.” Stiles replied quietly. Stiles honestly wasn’t quite sure how to respond around Mr. Hale. Even with the little crush aside. Mr. Hale was on whole level of attractive then Stiles was and let’s face it, pretty people were kind of intimidating. Not that Stiles was some sort of push over, he knew how to stand his ground but people like Mr. Hale and Lydia had this aura around them that made it hard to know what to say or what to do.

“True.” Mr. Hale replied with a small smile. Stiles immediately knew that he had said the wrong thing. He guessed Mr. Hale was expecting a bit more of a lively response, to get Stiles to come out of his shell? 

“Well, if I keep seeing you eat like that then I’ll just have put you on the diet. My dad hates it but he knows better not to fight me on it.” That encouraged a smile from Mr. Hale, who purposefully grabbed a hand full of chips and stuffed them into his mouth. Stiles felt a knot form in his stomach and did his best to swat it away before it could get worse.

“So, how are we actually going to go about these sessions? I mean, if make the effort in class, like today, which I apologize about, I tend to babble and it can get ugly.” Mr. Hale chuckled lightly at this. He totally thought Stiles was a dork, he wouldn’t exactly be wrong in thinking that, “We won’t have much to talk about it here.” Mr. Hale finished his chips, crumpling up the bag he leaned back and threw the garbage right into he trashcan, his shirt riding up slightly, enough for Stiles to notice his treasure trail.

This was going to be pure torture.

“Stiles you weren’t that bad,” Mr. Hale paused, reflecting on earlier, “Okay, maybe it was bad but it was an attempt at least! You had raised a good point. I bet a lot of people up until that point were thinking some Dr. Seuss kind of book, something very linear and it was refreshing to hear that you had actually thought about it.” Stiles felt himself blush, full on, feeling the heat creep up his face until his ears were burning. It was different knowing that you embarrassed yourself but having the person you were trying to avoid doing it in front of actually notice and tell him was completely different. Then compliment him for going above what he’d expected from Stiles himself and the majority of that class, which was kind of awesome.

“Thanks,” Stiles beamed a little, feeling some of the nervousness filter out of him.

“I kept thinking about what I liked to read—what I liked read to me as a child and I remembered all the times my mom used to read the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.” Mr. Hale gave him a look that had sympathy written all over it. It was common knowledge that the sheriff’s wife had passed a couple of years ago and Stiles was used to that look every time his mother was brought up around him or his father, it annoyed him more than anything. Coming from Mr. Hale, it was okay, genuine. Stiles could always tell when people did just because it was the right thing to do by society’s standards and people who meant it.

“I was thinking of something more complex, not linear, as you said.” Mr. Hale nodded, grabbing a note pad and started writing, that made Stiles nervous but continued, “I wanted creatures, maybe werewolves, that’s what I’ve been leaning towards more. I don’t want to make your typical beauty and the beast story but a nice twist, not to have two people or creatures at the opposite of the spectrum fall in love, you know?” Mr. Hale chuckled a little; he’s done that a lot today so far.

“Isn’t that kind of the point though?” Mr. Hale asked. 

“Yeah, I get the whole opposites attract thing and that’s great. Realistically though, relationships based on opposite qualities never really work out. I’m not saying all relationships like that are doomed but there has to be some common ground, something that each partner can share. I know when I look for that special someone, I’m not basing it off a need to fix someone or traits that drive me wild in both good and bad ways,” Stiles tried to make that statement as general as possible. “I want someone that I have things in common with but also have just as many differences. You don’t want to date yourself and trust me, been doing it for eighteen years now, you get pretty tired of yourself.” Stiles saw Mr. Hale look down and shake his head, trying to hide his smile.

“Which is why in my story, I want my characters to be more realistic. Not be polar opposites but just be different enough to have an attraction and let kids know that you don’t need a beast, to kiss a frog or any nonsense like that to find love and to keep it.” Stiles is a romantic, always was and is pretty sure he always will be. Whoever the Stiles’ special man is, can expect to be wooed. Flowers, rose peddles, chocolates, breakfast in bed and anything romantic Stiles can think of, will happen.

“I didn’t know you were such a romantic Stiles,” It felt like Mr. Hale was teasing him, Stiles could never tell these things. Observing things around him was easy but when it came to things blatantly in front of him, he was basically useless but Mr. Hale was smirking so he guessed he was.

“Well—I—ah, yes. I can’t help it. I’m a sucker for the mushy happy endings. I don’t care who you are, when the guy gets the girl or—ah the guy, because I don’t want to be homophobic, it warms you. If not you’re a machine! A cold hearted machine!” Mr. Hale smiled; his nose crinkling and Stiles full on swooned. It was a good thing he was sitting because his knees were already weak as it was.

“What about the lesbians?” Mr. Hale said a smile on his face, “Don’t they deserve love too.” Now Stiles knew Mr. Hale was teasing him. Stiles blushed again but pressed forward.

“Of course!” Stiles said fiercely, “can’t forget the lesbians. Hey, you know what! Why don’t I just write about Snow White waking up Sleeping Beauty with a kiss? I mean Snow White went through it, the prince CLEARLY didn’t work out, probably had something to do with the seven dwarfs, I knew she spent too much time with men. It’s never a good thing and we both know that. It’s time to give women a go.” Stiles laughed out and Mr. Hale actually had his head on his desk laughing. Stiles felt a great bit of accomplishment, he was a man who would give him grumpy looks all the time was wiping tears from his eyes from laughing.

Stiles thought it was the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“You are actually too much,” Mr. Hale is still laughing. That earned a grin from Stiles.

“But seriously, what kind of twist are you thinking?” Mr. Hale said trying to get back on track but the smile on his face saying different things.

“A smutty lesbian story between two scandalous Disney princesses,” Stiles couldn’t help himself, he just had too. Mr. Hale broke out into laugher once more, Stiles joining him.

Once they both calmed down, Stiles grabbed his water taking a few big gulps, knowing a silence was settling on them. Removing the bottle from his lips, Stiles looked up at Mr. Hale and he was already staring at him. This lasted a few moments, just both of them looking at each other. Mr. Hale’s eyes were bright green, glistening from the laughter. Stiles felt himself getting lost in them until Mr. Hale cleared his throat and spoke again.

“Well, I think we covered enough for today,” Mr. Hale said, clearing his throat again. Stiles nodded, feeling a little off by the abruptness of the meeting ending. He gathered his garbage, his school bag and remembered he didn’t know when the next meeting would be.

“Sir, I was thinking Monday, after school for our next session? I have lacrosse meeting at lunch and it always runs late…” Stiles said, he knew something had happened and he couldn’t tell if it was bad or not.

“That sounds good to me Stiles! I have nothing planned for Monday after school. Just try and have some more details nailed down about this story of yours. I want to know more about this twist of yours! I want you to get creative! I’ll probably have some options for your extra credit assignments as well.” Stiles nodded and smiled at Mr. Hale, words forming on his lips before he even thought about it.

“Teachers actually have a social life? I mean they don’t curl up in a cave marking things.” Mr. Hale broke out into one of his wide smiles once more.

“Yes—I have a social life, I don’t know about the others but I am twenty two so I do like to get out there, despite what most of you think.” Stiles laughed and scratched the back of his neck; Stiles hadn’t realized Mr. Hale was so young, a four year difference between both of them. Stiles had just recently turned eighteen and well, although he didn’t feel like it sometimes, he was actually considered an adult.

“I have a cave though, sometimes it’s unavoidable.” Mr. Hale added and motioned Stiles to be on his way, telling him to enjoy the rest of his lunch. Stiles smiled and started to head out the door, telling him he’ll see him Monday.

“Oh and Stiles?” Mr. Hale called out after him, Stiles turned around seeing Mr. Hale grinning slightly.

“Mr. Hale makes me feel grossly old. It’s Derek.” Derek. Stiles wasn’t surprised by his name making him even sexier.  
Derek Hale.

The name gave Stiles shivers.

“Derek.” Stiles confirmed, smiling brightly.


	2. Anytime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Told from Derek`s POV

  
Chapter 2: Anytime

_Derek_

 

Stiles Stilinski.

He was probably the most—the most, Derek didn’t even know where to start when it came to describing Stiles Stilinski. The guy was just weird, not the bad kind of weird—just different. Kind of eccentric but not too extreme, regardless there were plenty of times Derek caught himself staring at the young man in the hallways around school. Just trying to figure him out; he didn’t know what it was about the young man that drew Derek in. Stiles was a spazz, he seemed to be the most unsettled individual Derek has ever come across. Stiles basically vibrates his way around, either that or trips over himself with his gangly limbs. Derek has lost count at how many times he’s seen Stiles wipe out, how he ever made it in the lacrosse team is something Derek will never understand.  

Derek thought Stiles was one of the quieter students, kind of reminded him of himself at first. Derek generally always kept to himself when he was in high school and pretty much throughout university. Sure he was in a few sports but mostly was a lone wolf; his best friend in the world was his sister Laura, he didn’t care how lame that sounded, she was amazing and was always there for him.

It didn’t take much time to realize that Stiles wasn’t quiet by nature, he was actually a topic of conversation that filtered around the teachers’ lounge all the time. What he did? What he said? How talkative he was, always opinionated and always quick with a witty response. Derek was still reeling when he heard Stile caught the chemistry lab on fire. Not just a little spark but an entire work bench, completely in flames. Luckily they got it under control.

More of the older staff felt like where Stiles was the sheriffs son he should show some sort of responsibility and respect because of his father’s position. Derek thought that was more incentive for Stiles to be who he wanted to be, he hated the idea of living under someone shadow and it seemed obvious that Stiles had felt the same way. Derek didn’t voice this fact; it was awkward enough working with some of the same teachers that taught him, he knew better then to cause waves when he was just starting to get a steady footing.

Learning about Stiles’ behavior outside his classroom is really what drew Derek’s attention to the younger man. Stiles’ ability to weasel his way of participating in class had blown Derek away. A supposedly talkative student barely spoke a word and when he was called upon, he could actually see Stiles calculate in his head the shortest response possible. Derek was completely guilty for picking on him in class, a lot of the times he couldn’t help it. His I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude set a fire in Derek and he really wanted to know why. Stiles was an honor student with the exception of Derek’s class and he had no idea why.

The times Derek got more than a few worded responses, Stiles would eventually stutter the sentence out and completely turn into a tomato. He would literally then seem to refuse to even acknowledge that Derek was even speaking for the rest of the class. As interested as Derek was putting Stiles on the spot, he avoided it for the simple fact that he was causing him to flounder.

He had lied to Stiles and told him that his father contacted him about his failing grade but it was really Derek who contacted his father. This is something that Derek has done a few times for other students in his courses so it wasn’t specific to just Stiles. He would usually call the parents of the student to let them know that their son or daughter was failing, which Derek would offer extra credit, dependent on him noticing a change in their work ethic, etc.

Stiles was different, he knew that a fatherly pep talk wouldn’t work. Just like trying to make him participate in class would only force him separate himself further. It was the sheriff who mentioned the idea of helping Stiles one on one. He had explained that even though Stiles maintained excellent grades, his ADHD made it difficult for him to sometimes concentrate in large groups of people. That had answered a lot of questions about Stiles’ hyperactivity. Derek had offered that he would do lunch hour or after school sessions with Stiles one on one to get his grades up. Give him extra credit assignments to make up for the ones he had did poorly on and make sure he was keeping up with all the material in class. The Sheriff immediately agreed and seemed a little too happy about it, almost smug. Derek guessed that Stiles would absolutely hate this idea and that fact alone must have given the Sheriff satisfaction. Stiles seemed like a hard kid to pin something too, with the way he heard others talk about how the boy could talk he way out of anything.

Breaking the news shouldn’t have been as fun as it was. Derek after all was giving up his lunches and increasing his work day but the look on Stiles face was completely worth it. He had gotten extremely bold and turned down the offer, while still trying to remain polite. He wore a painful expression the entire time, biting and sucking on his bottom lip and fidgeted so much it actually seemed unhealthy. Then watching his gangly limbs stock out of the classroom was completely priceless.

Derek had remained beyond surprised at Stiles’ attitude the next day, how attentive his was. Derek of course had been hyperaware of him, especially after their talk. He’d promise him as soon as he saw improvement, Stiles was free of his clutches. Derek had noticed how Stiles sort of hung off every word he said and took what seemed to be detailed notes. Derek noticed his friend Lydia—or at least who he thought was Stiles’ friend constantly glance in Stiles’ direction and roll her eyes, which Derek didn’t quite understand. They had that whole opposites attract thing but Derek couldn’t tell if they were something or just clashed a lot.

Then when Stiles raised his hand, Derek couldn’t hide his surprise. Stiles looked like such a meek little creature, so small and almost a little helpless looking. Then when he started to babble Derek couldn’t help but think about how cute it was. Derek had frozen in shock at that very thought and when Stiles stopped speaking, he struggled to give him an answer because he had missed half of his babble lost in the fact that he just called one of his students cute.

Derek had spent the rest of the class after he sent them all to work, freaking out. There were lines that he didn’t cross. This he told himself this was a line he wasn’t going to get fifty feet near. Derek rationalized that it was a normal occurrence to think something was cute. It wasn’t that Derek thought Stiles was cute, it was just him babbling that was cute. The whole situation had taken Derek back a little because he was sure that was the most words he has ever heard Stiles speak at one time. He could see how all the others called him talkative. He almost preferred the quiet Stiles.

When Stiles left to get his lunch, Derek hauled his out, trying to eat away the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to crash over him. It wasn’t a normal occurrence for him to help a student in such an extreme way as he was helping Stiles, but he has had one on one meetings with other students before without it feeling like this. He couldn’t shake the feeling of this being something more, which was completely ridiculous considering he was forcing Stiles’ hand to be here.

Derek felt Stiles’ judgmental look when he caught Stiles eyeing his lunch but politely offered him a chip regardless. Stiles had declined him, within a few moments was telling him that he was going to put Derek on a diet. Derek couldn’t help but smile. He was in good shape, great shape but junk food was his weakness. He didn’t eat take out often but crap like chips and chocolate were his ultimate weakness, Pop Tarts especially, if he could justify eating a box in a day he would and has done it before.

Stiles then began pushing details for Derek about how these sessions were going to work; it had caught Derek a little off guard because he had honestly forgotten that was why they were there in the first place. Stiles apologized for his babbling earlier; Derek couldn’t help but reflect what had happened, telling Stiles it was okay and that he raised a great point. Watching Stiles blush made Derek tingle slightly, making a warmth spread throughout him; he beat the word ‘cute’ back before it could even try to surface.

Stiles’ confession of how his mother used to read to him as a kid had awoken something within Derek that he really didn’t want bubbling to the surface. Laura and he had lost their parents in a fire when they were children. He didn’t have very many memories of them, his father especially but his mother, there was some Derek hung on to, his mother reading to him was one of those memories.

Derek couldn’t help tease Stiles a little over being a romantic; it felt good for once to not be the one having that thrown in his face. Laura teased him mercilessly about the over sized bookcase full romance novels in his room and watching Stiles stutter over himself was undeniably cute. Derek had shot back that lesbians needed love too before he even thought that maybe it reaching inappropriate teasing Stiles the way he was. It was just so hard not to; he just reacted in all the ways that made Derek want more.

As soon at the word smut left Stiles’ mouth Derek had lost it. Stiles was probably one the funniest people he had ever met. What was great about Stiles was the fact that he didn’t try to be funny, he just was and that spoke more volumes about Stiles to Derek then all the dates he’d been on, with both guys and girls who tried too hard to impress Derek, try to make him laugh, try to make themselves come off more attractive when all they need to do was be themselves.

Stiles was himself but this wasn’t a date.

Derek looked up and Stiles and watched as his put the bottle of water to his lips. The way he tilted his head slightly, exposing his neck, watching his Adams apple bob up and down. Derek felt his mouth go dry and let his gaze immediately connect with Stiles’ when took the bottle from his lips. He never noticed how pretty Stiles’ eyes were, a molten amber color, bright and wide with fascination. They remained that way for what seemed minutes but could have possibly only been seconds before Stiles fidgeted and broke Derek out of his trance. Clearing his throat he excused Stiles to enjoy the rest of his lunch, needing a few minutes to gather himself before classes resumed.

The fact that he had to gather himself angered Derek. The fact that he blatantly teased and stared at his student in a way that wasn’t strictly in the realm of education and helping Stiles get a better grade, which is what they were here for to begin with. Derek realized that this was probably going to be a very bad idea and it was too late to go back on, then as if betraying his own thoughts he told Stiles his name. The smile the boy gave him made something flutter in his stomach and he knew he was in trouble.

\---

“So are you going to tell me what’s on your mind or do you want me to crack your skull open and poke around to try and figure it out myself?” Laura had always read Derek well, way too well for her own good.

“Nothing is on my mind! Just spaced off for a second there,” Derek smiled back. Laura made a noise with her throat that told him she didn’t believe a single word that came out his mouth.

Sad thing is, is that Derek was thinking about Stiles and what had went down yesterday at lunch. He was trying to chalk it up to a lapse in sanity but the guy couldn’t stop bubbling he was up into Derek’s thoughts and he wasn’t about to tell his sister then, especially about someone who was his student.

“Is it a girl?” A smile broke across Laura’s face, “a boy?” Derek huffed; he knew that taking Laura out to supper tonight was a bad idea. She had been begging him to spend time with her, despite the fact they lived with each other, since the school year had started Derek had honestly been too busy to do anything else.

“It’s not a girl or a boy. Nothing like that all.” Derek offered

“So what exactly is it? You’ve been on another planet all night and the last time I’ve seen you like this it was with Kate.” Laura spit out Kate’s name is utter disgusted.

Kate had been Derek’s ex, most recent one at least. He had met her in university, up until then he was still pretty new to the dating scene. High school never gave him much option because everyone seemed to always have an alternative motive behind everything. He had bumped into Kate at a party his dorm was holding and she had been a firecracker and they sort of hit it off immediately. She had seemed incredibly real, having a this-is-me-deal-with-it attitude that Derek found insanely attractive. She wasn’t afraid to be herself and it certainly helped that she was beautiful. She was Derek’s type if he had to really narrow it down.

Laura hated her immediately, not that Derek was surprised by any means. He figured it was Laura being jealous and/or overprotective. But she had hated her on sight. He remembered when Derek brought Kate back for thanksgiving weekend, as soon as Kate came into Laura’s view, he saw his sisters eyes harden and he barely contained a flinch. How Kate had made it through that weekend was a testimony to her strength because Derek barely made it. He didn’t speak to Laura for a while after that. They had just barely gotten civil in time for Christmas, which he was thankful for.

“Oh god, it’s not Kate is it? Please tell me it’s not her Derek.” Derek had brought a glass of water to his lips to drink but only ended up choking on the water.

“No, why would you even think that? I’m not that much of a fool.” Laura gave him a look that immediately told him she thought different. He could almost hear her say that he was stupid enough to even be with her in the first place.

“Well, I should hope so, after what that whore did to you. She is lucky you managed to talk me down. I wanted beat the skinny tight ass of hers up and down this block and I would have done it, if you hadn’t told me to drop it.” Laura replied fiercely, she kind of scared Derek sometimes, that day being one of the scariest. He literally had to hold her back and take her keys to keep her from driving to the Argents. He could literally imagine Laura pulling up, stomping into that house and hauling Kate out by her hair and ended her on the front lawn.

“I know, you’ve told me a million times already.” This topic always seemed to exasperate Derek, it wasn’t one of his fonder moments and his sister couldn’t help but let him live it all over when she started on her hate for the woman.

“Do you blame me? She slept with half of the campus; she also keyed my car Derek. My car! She is fucking crazy and a slut!” Derek sighed, it wasn’t half the campus but he wasn’t quite sure on the number of people she had cheated on him with. Her excuse was that he was smothering her, that Derek was ‘dampening her flame’. Even after two years of being together, she dropped him just like that, not like Derek wouldn’t have left after learning what she had done. He wasn’t that desperate. He thought he had loved her though, he still wasn’t quite sure. Kate had a way of always keeping you at a distance and Derek guessed he did the same thing by proxy. Derek had chalked it up to life experience and had moved on, she was a chapter of his life that he needed to experience and then learn from.

“No I don’t blame you and if it had been the opposite situation I probably would have killed the person who hurt you, but can we please stop talking about this? I’ve moved on and don’t particularly like reliving this every time her name is mentioned around you.” Laura stuck out her tongue and grabbed the dinner roll on the table in front of her, tearing a piece out of the end. Derek had to remind himself that she wasn’t his brother all the time, she may have been beautiful but her feminine qualities needed a bit of refinement.

“Fine, but tell me who got you panties all knotted up because you know I will find out and it will go a whole lot smoother if you tell me now. Cause if I have to take the time figure it out myself, it won’t end well.” Laura threatened Derek. He didn’t really know why she thought she had too, he would have given up and told her anyways, which is what he was about to do.

“Okay, it’s a guy—he is one of my students.” Laura gasped, leaning forward, “—Shut up. Shut the fucking front door.” She leaned back and laughed out loud.

“My brother, robbing the cradle, never thought I’d see this coming.” Derek ran his hands over his face; he knew she would be like this, always making assumptions.

“No! Laura it’s nothing like that!”

“Like hell, you know who you’re talking too right?” Laura smirked. What was putting Derek off was the fact that she seemed okay—amused even at the thought of Derek and one of his students.

“I told you, it’s nothing like that. I’m giving him one on one sessions to help with his—Laura, seriously, not like that. This is why I wasn’t going to say anything!” Derek was getting mad. There was a pause between both of them as the waiter came and set their food down asking if they need anything else. Derek told him they were fine and he left, leaving an awkward silence between him and his sister.

“Listen, I’m sorry but answer me truthfully, do you have feelings for him?” Derek paused for a moment; he honestly didn’t know how to answer that question. He had somewhat unhealthy infatuation with the young man since school had started but he never really thought anything of it until recently. Then experienced Stiles over the past couple of days, there was no denying that Derek was interested, he wasn’t sure to what extent but he was closing in on that borderline that he told himself he was going to desperately avoid.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. He’s—God he is just so weird. I noticed him at the start of the school year and how there was just something quirky about him.” Laura nodded, taking a bit of what looked like the best chicken Derek had ever seen. Reaching across the table with his fork, he stole a piece she had cut off and continued, “then yesterday in class and at lunch I seen a whole different side of him and I couldn’t help but think how cute it—he was. I’m just stressing myself because of no matter how I feel, I am still his teacher and he still is my student and it is completely inappropriate.” Laura reached over and stole a meat ball off his plate, they clearly having no boundaries when it comes to each other food.

“How old is he?” she asked as she bit into Derek’s food.

“Eighteen I believe but that’s—“

“—Legal,” she finish Derek’s sentence making him sigh and lean back into his chair.

“Okay, I’m going to give you some sisterly advice. Who cares? See that was short and sweet.” Derek laughed because he could certainly think a lot of people would care.

“I don’t know, maybe law enforcement, the school board, all the parents that will make assumptions that I’m automatically start sexually harassing their children.” Derek was going to conveniently leave out that Stiles happened to be the Sheriffs son because that alone complicated things a fuck ton.

“Derek, listen. You’re a good person, a great man and this guy, whoever he is would be lucky to have someone like you in his life,” She paused. “I also know you and you’re sitting there thinking that this relationship would be too inappropriate because of the position of authority but who knows? Maybe this guy is hot for teacher, I mean you’re not ugly Derek by any means, I can’t imagine how many hormonal teenagers think about you in that way.” Derek gave her a disgusted face and put his open hand in front of himself to tell her to stop. She giggled and pressed on,

“You can’t help who you like Derek. It’s something you don’t have control over so just go with it. See if this boy likes you the same way and if he does, test the waters because regardless of the fact that you are his teacher now, you won’t always be. You’re about five years older than him and if you guys were two years into the future, you wouldn’t have thought twice about asking him out for coffee.” She had been right there, if they had met outside of school, Derek probably would have asked Stiles out, no question.

“I also know this isn’t just some whim either, for you to actually be thinking about repercussions of something like this means that you are serious about these feelings you’re developing for him. You love your job and you’re passionate about it and nothing would come close to ruining what you have if you didn’t think you could get something just as good.” Derek began to pick at his food at this point, losing his appetite due to the nervousness that was fluttering around in his stomach.

“I don’t know Laura, it really dangerous of me to flirt with this idea, especially with someone younger and is probably straight to begin with.” Laura sighed, reached over across the grabbed his hands, covering them with hers.

“I love you and all I want is for you to be happy. You’re not stupid Derek so I know you’ll make the best decision possible. If he is right for you, it’ll work, you worry too much, just go with the flow.” Go with the flow. That is a lot easier said than done. Derek smiled at her brightly, getting her to release his hands back to him. Although he wasn’t quite convinced, Laura did give him something to think about for sure. A lot of this hypothetically relationship relied on Stiles and whether or not he was worth all the trouble.

A sudden squawk and the sound of someone falling to the ground turned his and Laura’s attentions to the other side of the restaurant. Derek paled when he saw Stiles shoot directly up from off the floor, telling the people around him that he was completely fine, babbling nervously to everyone. Derek smiled slightly, thinking that Stiles babbling was entirely adorable.

Stiles had looked in Derek’s direction, immediately locking eyes; he waved meekly before literally being dragged away by a strawberry blond who Derek assumed was Lydia.

“Who is that?” Laura asked, probably referring to the wave Stiles had sent their way.

“Stiles Stilinski, a student in my writing class.” Derek said, trying to keep his voice as level as possible, trying not to give away the fact that Stiles was the student that had been talking about all dinner.

“Oh, is he hot for you or something?” Laura asked suddenly, making Derek choked slightly.

“Why?” Laura using her fork pointed in Stiles’ direction

“He keeps looking over at us, staring at you.” Derek couldn’t help but turn around looking back in Stiles’ direction. His eyes connected with Stiles and the boy immediately turned away, flushing red. Derek chuckled turning his head looking right by into Laura’s accusing eye.

“That’s him isn’t it?” Derek opened his mouth but nothing came out.

“Oh. My. God. The Sheriffs son, I take it back, maybe you are kind of stupid.” Derek just gaped at her.

“Says the woman who was telling me that I can’t help who I liked,” Laura laughed.

“Thought you said you weren’t sure if you liked him or not.” She teased. Derek couldn’t help but look back at Stiles who seemed to be in the middle of telling a story, looking around at everyone, arm spread wide in front of him.

Looking back at Laura, Derek sighed trying to settle the butterflies that had taken over him stomach, it was almost nauseating.

“I’m screwed.”

\---

Before Derek knew it, he was sitting at his desk on Monday, waiting for Stiles to arrive. The rest of the weekend seemed to fly by, being locked in his cave grading papers. The one thing about being an English teacher that sucked was the amount of time it took to grade anything. It took forever to read and assign an appropriate grade because each paper was different.

He had honestly been so busy that he never really had a chance to think about his and Stiles’ meeting after school. Now that Stiles would be here any minute, he felt like he was going to vomit at any moment. It made Derek uncomfortable, the fact that this boy, this young man who he didn’t even know entirely could make him feel things that Kate took months to make him feel and even then never this strong. He was afraid of him putting himself in an awkward situation because he knew a wrong slip up could cost him his job. That’s why he decided he had to make sure that today was strictly going to be able Stiles’ writing and the extra assignments Derek had planned for him.

Derek heard someone clear their throat, looking up he saw Stiles leaning against the doorframe. He was wearing a small smile and it made Derek wonder how long he was actually standing there. He motioned for Stiles to come in and take a seat. This time Stiles took a seat from behind the students desk and right up to Derek`s desk, directly facing him. Derek didn`t say anything, just watched the boy rummage through his school bag

All of a sudden Stiles slammed a container full of celery, carrots and broccoli with a small container of what looked like dressing.

“Eat.” Stiles commanded, giving Derek a sly grin

“If I say no?” Derek replied, using Stiles’ line against him, giving him a toothy grin.

“Well, Mr. Hale, here is the issue. Telling you to eat these delicious vegetables was me only extending a courtesy to you. You see, I decided that if I was going to do these sessions, you’re going to start to eat healthier. Either that or we stop them all together.” Stiles smirked and Derek literally felt his blood rushing downwards, he could really get used to this demanding Stiles. He leaned forward grabbing the container.

“Seems like I have no choice, so what’s first?” Derek asked and Stiles gave him a big grin.

“Celery is my favorite.”

\---

Things had been going well so far. They had been doing strictly what Derek had planned. He explained that once Stiles had completed the extra credit assignments and then the children’s book, which should lead them up until Christmas, maybe afterwards. He would be free of Derek as long as he could keep up his participation and grades.

Stiles had to write three letters to people in his life, past, present and future. A descriptive essay to replace the one they have already done and a writing assignment of his choice. Stiles seemed surprised, expecting a much harder assignments.  Derek told him he wasn’t a slave driver but the fact he was doing all these extra hours in these sessions is also considered a part of the work.

“Have you made any progress on the romantic children’s story yet?” Derek couldn’t help but tease Stiles just a little bit. It was his way to see how Stiles reacted to him.  He knew if there wasn’t any interest Stiles would eventually get uncomfortable or stop returning fire.

“You know I did, I’m just trying to get around these lesbian sex scenes, it’s kind of hard to do when you’re trying to make a book for kids five years and older.” Stiles smiled brightly making Derek return one just as bright.

“Well, let me see what you got.” Derek asked, pointing towards Stiles’ notepad. Stiles nodded, licking him lips nervously reaching for his notepad. Derek kept noticing how often Stiles licked his lips. The boy did it unconsciously and it brought so much unnecessary attention to those full red lips of his. Derek was really going there right now. Stiles licked his lips again, looking directly at Derek innocently not having any ideas what the young man was doing to him

“Snow white couldn’t believe what was happening. Sleeping beauty was undoing her blouse, hands shaking with anticipation—“Derek cut Stiles off with a burst of laughter. The thing was, this was completely inappropriate but he couldn’t help himself. He never thought Stiles would even go there but he did. Derek knows he should be mad and tell him that he was being inappropriate and this was not was not the type of relationship they should have or that this was a line he was crossing but Derek found it extremely endearing.

Derek and Stiles stopped laughing and Derek couldn’t help but look into his eyes, almost molten, bright with tears, Derek felt his heart flutter.

“You do know that was extremely inappropriate.” Derek said, trying to be serious but he could tell Stiles knew better.

“I know, I know, I just like—I like seeing you smile. Better than those grumpy looks you give me.” Stiles was blatantly nervous now, face flushed and Derek felt his own palms start to sweat.

Stiles liked seeing him smile. Derek really couldn’t do anything but smile in this moment.

“I don’t give you grumpy looks.” Derek said hotly. He knew he did, especially when he was in a bad mood and Stiles was trying his hardest to not do anything.

“Oh, please, I could actually feel your annoyance for me radiate from across the classroom.” Derek was never really subtle, he knew that but in the classroom, he always tried to be in completely control, Stiles was more observant then Derek had thought he was. He wasn’t so sure that was a good thing.

“Well maybe if someone actually wasn’t trying his hardest to ignore everything I was saying, which by the way was completely obvious and actually pretend that he wanted to be here. Maybe he wouldn’t get a scowl?” Stiles rolled his eyes. Derek at first thought it was childish but he quickly realized it was Stiles’ way of mentally kicking himself, he tilted his head back and groaned a little.

“I want be here now. Does that could for something?” Stiles asked apologetically.

“Have I scowled at you lately?” Derek asked, attempting to scowl, making Stiles laugh.

“No, no you haven’t.” Stiles grinned. Derek figured it was about time they get back on track because he did have a job to do even though all he really wanted to do was banter back and forth with Stiles.

“So tell me about your actual progress. Not the lesbian porn you seem to write a lot of.” Stiles laughed and scratched the back of his neck licking his lips, which Derek had learned was a nervous tick of Stiles’, he seemed to have a lot of those and each one drove Derek crazy.

“As you know I was thinking something different. I decided that the creature will be a werewolf,” Stiles waited to see Derek‘s reaction. Derek smiled and nodded.

“I-I-thought of the twist, the thing that sets it apart from other stories. I was thinking that maybe—the main characters, the main relationship would be been two—men.” Derek didn’t have a chance to process what Stiles had said before Stiles started to babble.

“I’m sorry, I know its pushing the boundaries but I sort of thought it was a good idea. I mean most tales always have a woman and a man but in this day in age it’s not like that anymore. I don’t want this to be a typical sexiest heterosexual relationship, which is what a lot of these tales these days have.” Stiles let out a breath and Derek waited a few moments to see if Stiles was going to continue but Stiles sat awkwardly, fiddling with his hands avoiding eye contact with Derek

“I think that’s a great idea.” Derek smiled when he saw Stiles perk right up.

“Seriously? You don’t think it would be gross?” Stiles said quietly and Derek gave him a disappointed look. Had Stiles been worried that Derek was some homophobic bigot?

“No, of course not! What makes you say that?” Derek wanted to set the record straight that he was not a judgemental person and obviously never had any problem with men being together with men.

It set Derek on edge a little just thinking that Stiles would be nervous or even afraid to express himself to Derek. Derek knew that he and Stiles didn’t really know each other but Derek felt like he knew Stiles. As crazy as it sounded, he trusted Stiles; he had no idea why but the thought alone kind of scared Derek. Derek never trusted very many people; he could probably count on one or two hands, Laura being number one. Derek knew that he could tell Stiles his interest in men right now and Stiles would never breathe a word. The idea that he could put that on Stiles and know it would never cross the boy’s lips again worried Derek.

“I just—I assumed and I know that do make an ass out of you and me—sorry, just me but no matter how progressive society is, not all men are comfortable with gay people, no matter how accepting they are. Not saying that I’m some closet case because I’m not, I just don’t want this topic to make you uncomfortable.” Derek didn’t really understand what Stiles meant by not being a closet case. Does that mean he was gay and out? Or was he just straight and letting Derek know he wasn’t gay?

“Stiles look at me,” Derek waited for the boys eyes to reach his.

“I am one hundred and fifty percent okay with anyone’s sexual orientation. ‘Cause honestly, it’s not really my business who you lay with at night but I commend you for wanting to work with this idea. It’ll only been seen by me or the rest of the class if you choose to let it be read out loud, it’s a great idea for equality.” Derek watched Stiles eyes soften and literally fought the urge to pull him over the desk and hug him.

“Thanks, Mr. Ha—Derek.” Stiles smiled softly, his name sounded so right coming from Stiles.

“I just read a lot of things about certain ideas or objects being gender specific: blue is for boys, pink is for girls, boys can’t play with Barbies… different things like that. If I have ever have a son or a daughter, I don’t want them to be limited to what they can do or achieve based on what society thinks is appropriate for them. If my son is gay or my daughter is a lesbian or likes both, I want them to know from the very beginning that these feelings are okay. I think that homosexual fairy tales, if you want to call it that will let children know that gay relationships are okay.” Derek leaned back in his chair in awe because of this young man right now. Derek knows high school is  a hard place to express yourself and let yourself be heard but Stiles seemed so passionate in what he believed, what he knew was right, it made Derek’s heart quicken and his stomach twist.

 Stiles came across much older that what he was. He wasn’t selfish like a lot of people his age are. He was worried about people as a whole, making their life easier, to have more acceptance.

“Stiles,” Derek said grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling numbers down on a piece of paper.

“I’m about to do yet another inappropriate thing teachers shouldn’t do or allow but—here is my number.” Stiles eyes widen as he slowly reached to get the paper from Derek’s hands.

“If you ever need to anything, I want you to call me, text me even. If you ever run into trouble or anything like that or just want to talk, just dial the number and I’ll be on the other line.” Stiles nodded dumbly, folding the number carefully and putting it into his pocket.

“Other than this gay relationship, do you have any other plot ideas?” Derek asked, getting out his note book, jotting down a few things. He liked to take notes to keep everything straight in his head and it also tells him the kind of progress that he is making, gives something tangible to the parents when they come barking at his door.

“Well, like I said it was about werewolves but one in particular. I want him to be a loner, like a lone wolf. He experiences many hardships in his life, the death of his family, an evil hunter who took them away from him. I want this character to be dark, to suffer, to know what it means so when the time comes and this boy drags him out of the darkness and helps him really see the beauty of the world but accept its depths as well. To get the message through that it’s normal to go through hardship and dark times, but there are always good times on the horizon and you’re the one who ultimately decides to pick yourself up and live your life. That it’s okay to be free of all the hate that surrounds you, guilt that you feel, to just be able to live your life.” Stiles had stopped looking at his notes and just went with it. Derek had to quickly jot down Stiles’ ideas and main points he wanted to cover. It seemed like an awful amount of work and a lot to try and get across but Derek knew if someone could do it, Stiles could.

“Would it sound lame if I said I am really excited to actually read this? This sounds amazing, like wow. I was expecting like a cliché kind of story but this is really dark and sounds really good. I like the contrast you’re going to be doing on the light and the dark. There is a lot of complicated emotion in there, I just hope you can portray it in a way that your audience can actually understand what is happening.” Stiles nodded and jotted something down on his paper. Derek looked up at the time and realized that they had been here for over an hour.

“Well Mr. Stilinski, I believe I have kept you long enough. Just let me know tomorrow morning in class when you want our next meeting to be.” Derek watched disappointment flicker in Stiles’ before he nodded and gather his things.

“I want you to try and brainstorm some names for this story of yours as well. I know sometimes it hard where you’re just in the idea stage but you never know something might come to you.” Stiles smiled and said goodbye to Derek and he walked out of the classroom.

Derek sighed and leaned back up against his chair. He knew he was in trouble, he was at the point of no return and it never really occurred to him that he should really turn around and walk away. He wasn’t a fool to think Stiles was magically interested in him but despite his developing romantic feelings for the boy, he genuinely cared for him. Despite whatever transcends between them Derek wanted to make sure that he was happy and that he got what he deserved. Stiles was smart, really smart and is going to go a long way in life and Derek could settle for being a small stepping stone for this young man’s journey.

As Derek gathered his things, he noticed his phone light up from the corner of his eye. Grabbing it he realized he didn’t know the number but there was no doubt in who it was.

**I don’t need a couple of days! Sourwolf, that’s what my story is called.**

Derek smiled, Sourwolf, it was pretty clever, which is what he texted Stiles back. He immediately received a happy face in return.

By the time Derek had gotten to his car, his phone had gone off again,

**I just wanted to say, Thank you for everything Derek. You’re an amazing teacher; don’t let badass students like me tell you otherwise.**

_Anytime._ Derek replied, chuckling at the thought of Stiles being a badass.

Anytime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys enjoy? Leave me some fierce comments.


	3. Willpower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys! Sorry for the wait! I finished Finals and then literally went head long in my very first clinical. Let me tell you, probably the hardest few days I've ever had. I came home yesterday evening and slept for like 11 hours, it was so bad.
> 
> I wanted to say thank you guys so much for your awesome comments! They really want to get me writing! I just wish I had more time to do so. Real life really sucks.
> 
> This is the first chapter with a bit of smut in it. I have never written any smut before because this is my first FanFic. I hope you guys all enjoy that little blurb!
> 
> Besides the smut I don't think there is much of a warning besides a little bit of talk about stereotyping. Which I don't think is much of a big deal but for those who have a sensitivity to that topic you have been warned.
> 
> Enjoy!

  
Chapter 3: Willpower

_Stiles_

 

It had taken Stiles all his will power not to text Derek again.

All his willpower.

If anyone knew Stiles, his willpower dwindles very fast, especially when it’s something he really wanted to do. He had been teetering back and forth about texting Derek. What would he say exactly? Was it even appropriate to even text him just because he wanted too? Derek had said to contact him any time even if he just wanted to talk but was it just him being kind? It was confusing because Stiles never really heard of teachers giving out their own personal numbers. It seemed like Derek genuinely cared for Stiles but he wasn’t sure what lines he was allowed to cross.

Stiles felt like Derek thought he was some sort of a closet case and felt like that could have been a reason why he gave Stiles his number. He wasn’t really wrong about Stiles not being out. He was to an extent, to his friends and the general public but his father didn’t know and Stiles knew that this was a conversation him and his father had to have as soon as possible. Stiles was tired of hiding himself, a weight had been lifted once he came out to his friends and it had been amazing. As time went on he felt like he was still tied down because there was one person who didn’t know. Getting the taste of the freedom of finally being able to be who you are and then still have to take two steps back was really starting to wear on Stiles. He never quite understood why someone this day in age should have to go through such conflicted emotions about being something that was now considered normal. It’s what really fed his idea to do the children’s story with a homosexual relationship. He thought that if kids these days were exposed to some sort of positive material about gay relationships, then maybe people like Stiles wouldn’t have to work so hard to not be themselves.

It had been really awkward for Stiles to describe his idea for the story to Derek. He knew it was what he wanted to do but telling that to a male teacher had Stiles questioning Derek’s comfort level with discussing things like homosexuality. Derek of course had floored Stiles by being a perfect human being and completely loved Stiles’ idea. What made it even better is that he actually understood where Stiles was coming from and Stiles never expected that, not in a million years.

Stiles sighed, flinging himself from his computer chair to his bed. He was already trying to convince himself to not text Derek. It had been a constantly battle of actually having typed out several texts only to delete it last minute. What was it really going to accomplish either way? It wasn’t like Derek was gay? Even if he was, Stiles was still his student and even if Derek was willing look past him being a student, there is no guarantee that Derek would ever go for someone like Stiles; awkward and socially stunted.

Stiles had almost forgotten about seeing Derek at the restaurant with that attractive woman with the jet black hair the weekend past.  Just thinking about it had jealousy coiling in Stiles’ stomach. It was the reason why he added tripping up in the middle of a crowded restaurant to his list of public embarrassments. He had walked in and like a heat seeking missile he immediately saw Derek holding hands with her and of course he had to trip over his own feet. The jealousy had ate at him the entire night, not being able to stop looking over in Derek’s direction, having the woman catch him constantly staring, giving him extremely amused looks. Jealousy wasn’t something Stiles was used too. He wasn’t into such petty emotions and tried to look above them whenever he felt them coming on. When Scott first started dating Allison, Stiles had to literally go through Scott withdrawal because up until that point they were literally attached at the hip. Then all of a sudden they weren’t and Stiles found himself resenting Allison for taking his best friend from him. It had taken a while to get used it but Stiles had realized that they were in love and it wasn’t just some fling but honest to god love. Stiles being the romantic that he was didn’t want to get in between that and knew that Scott hadn’t forgotten about him. Once they had gotten through their honeymoon stage, Scott had started to come around more and things were start to get back to normal, with the added bonus of Allison sometimes, who Stiles secretly thought was awesome but would never say any different.

During his last session with Derek, Stiles had realized that his lust for his extremely attractive teacher had started to form in to a full blown crush. He of course found Derek’s gruff exterior extremely attractive, obviously giving him what now he liked to call the Hale Hard-on because Stiles literally went diamond hard at the sound of Derek’s voice and then having to look at him certainly made it worse. Derek began to make Stiles feel other things though. Nerves that caused him to get shakes, make his hands sweaty, and made him even twitchier. His lips was completely chapped from licking them so much and the butterflies, they had almost made him stomach sick at some points. Despite all those physical reactions, Stiles was completely at ease around him. He never let his guard come down around someone so fast in his life. He was himself to the word, quirky, apparently funny because all Derek did was laugh and smile at him. That smile—it should be against the law. Every time Stiles saw it he would literally get hot, warmth would spread right through him, he was sure Derek had to feel the heat radiating off him at some points.

Here came his dilemma once again, to text Derek or not. He knew that if he entertained this idea of actually getting to know Derek more, he was sure would end up falling for the man causing him the pain of rejection when it was inevitably bound to come. Then there was the likelihood of falling for the man anyways due to being in close proximity because of their private sessions and Derek’s ability to make him swoon at how amazing he was.

Stiles had decided that was going to try and text Derek, if it was going to end badly then might as well enjoy it while he can, right? The question was what to actually text him. He didn’t want to work too much on what he thought Derek would want to talk about but just whatever came to his mind. He was famous for always texting lame jokes to Scott or some random facts so he figured he could start with that. Hopefully Derek would respond and not be one of those awkward people who reply with one-worded responses.

_How do you get Pikachu on a bus?_ Stiles knew this joke was lame, but it was too perfect not to say. Everybody loved Pokémon at some point, even Derek must have. Stiles knew Derek wasn’t too much older then himself so Derek either watched it himself or at least knew what it was about.

**Haha, I don’t know. How?** Derek had replied within a matter of moments which made Stiles’ heart skip a beat.

_Pokémon._ Stiles replied with a grin, he loved this joke despite how bad it was. He hoped Derek had got it. It had taken Stiles a minute or so to get it the first time, having to sound out the word slowly.

**That was so lame. I can’t even handle that.** Derek replied a minute or so later. Stiles would be lying if he said that response never discouraged him a little but he still never let it stop him.

_Awe, c’mon. It’s Pokémon! Everybody loves Pokémon! Embrace your inner trainer._ Stiles hoped that this would get a positive response from Derek.

**I do embrace my inner trainer often! I’ve beat the new game like 3 times over already. I love Pokémon, just not your joke! I thought you were funnier than that Stiles. :(** Stiles was pretty sure had had died and gone to heaven. Derek plays Pokémon games, forget the crush, he is officially in love with this man, no question. 

_Well, I can’t always read out Disney princess smut to you. You got to take the good and bad hand in hand._   Stiles couldn’t help but bring up Snow White and Sleeping Beauty’s love affair, he’ll probably have to a full on smut story just for Derek to see him die laughing.

**I’ll gladly take your hand any day, Stiles.** Stiles was afraid to see how far his eyes had bulged out of his head reading this. There was no way Derek wasn’t flirting with him. He needed to stay calm. Really calm and try and figure out what he was going to say. Derek must have been fooling around with him, there was no way he was actually serious.

_Derek, are you—is this you asking to marry me?_ _Cause if it is, I got to say. I need to think about it_. Stiles grinned slightly, heart pounding so hard it felt like it was in his ears. It was a couple of minutes before Derek replied, at this point he broke out into a nervous sweat.  Stiles will never openly admit this to anyone ever but there was one point, way back when he sort of had a crush on Lydia. Although it was pretty obvious and people called it out on him on it often, even believed he still had one for her, well up until he had came out. When Stiles looked back on it, he thought it was more of him wanting to like Lydia so he could be more like Scott and the other guys in his class. Lydia had never made him react like this. At that point in his life, he was just starting to notice the differences between him and other guys, how they talked about women and the way women apparently made them feel. Stiles could see where they were coming from but he himself couldn’t feel those things. Stiles guessed that forcing himself to like Lydia was a big form of denial; one that he’ll never openly admit, especially to her.

**…and if I am? Why would you want to break my heart like this Stiles?** Stiles’ gut had actually plummeted. The pads of his finger tips had actually started to ache. He had no idea why he was even reacting like this. It’s not like Derek means any of this.

_Well, a guy got to be wooed. You can’t just flash a handsome smile and expect me to go weak at the knees._ Stiles tried to ignore that fact that that is exactly what happens. _There has to be dating, a courtship, where you surprise me with lots of gifts. Treat me like the prince I am, give me stuffed toys because they are my secret weakness, and then supply me with endless amounts of chocolate._

It is embarrassing to admit but Stiles does sleep with a teddy bear at night. He has always been a cuddle fiend. Sleepovers at Scott’s had been awkward at first because they used to share a bed and Stiles would always wake up with his limbs wrapped around Scott. Scott had gotten used to it overtime and ended up returning the cuddles.

**I guess I have to change that then now don’t I? Never figured you to be easy anyways but you did say I have a handsome smile, must be doing something right.** This made Stiles grin, feeling butterflies gather in his stomach.

**Shouldn’t you be in bed right now anyways? You got Mr. Hale first thing in the morning don’t you? I heard he is a hard ass.** Stiles actually giggled, good thing his father was working late tonight because giggling is something a group of preteen girls do when they see a cute boy walk by.

_I should but I’m not worried. Mr. Hale is a big softy anyways, either way I know his weakness, I’m untouchable._ Stiles replied, just picturing Derek raising his eyebrow, smirk on his face. He was probably in bed at this time at night, shirtless and in his underwear. Made Stiles wonder if he was a boxers or briefs guy. Stiles was kind of hoping for boxer briefs, cause he bet Derek had a nice package and to see it all held up in a tight pair of black boxer briefs would actually be mouth watering.

**Oh, what kind of weakness would that be?** Stiles had almost typed in _me_ but stopped himself. He knew his upstairs brain wasn’t running the show anymore. His cock was of course causing him serve discomfort by straining against the tight demin of his jeans. Maybe it was time to go to bed before he said something he regretted.

_Can’t give away all my secrets ;) Night Derek._ Stiles stripped off his clothes, leaving himself in his boxer briefs.

**Night tease.** Stiles grinned because Derek had no idea how much he wanted to tease him.

Stiles set his alarm and crawl into his bed. Looking down he saw Stiles Jr. looking up at him, with a Hale hard on of course, demanding attention. Groaning Stiles rolled over on his stomach, grabbing Mr. Snuggles trying to get comfortable enough to go to sleep, totally ignoring the hardness pressed against his stomach.

\---

_Stiles felt the feathery kisses go down his chest, down his abdomen. The lips were soft and moist, sending pleasure through his entire body. He felt a tongue dip into his belly button making him squirm, a moan escaping his lips._

_“You like that?” A husky voice whispered to him, tongue dipping back into Stiles’ belly button before slowly nipping his way down. Stiles tried to buck his hips upward but a pair of hands was keeping them in place. He felt even more blood rush to his cock, begging to be touched, aching for release._

_“What do you want Stiles?” The voice half moaned up at Stiles. Stiles looked down and locked with forest green eyes, pupils blown wide open._

_“Derek,” Stiles moaned loudly, feeling a flush of heat surge through him._

_“What do you want Stiles?” Derek breathed again, mouthing the base of Stiles’ cock._

_“What do you want me to do to you?” Stiles whimpered as the tip of Derek’s tongue ran on the underside of his shaft, mopping up the precum flowing out of the slit at the tip of Stiles cock._

_“God, Derek, please!” Stiles was panting now, he needed release, he didn’t care how, he just needed Derek’s hand on him._

_He felt Derek’s hand slide up his chest, fingers circling his nipples, teasing the already erect nubs. Stiles let out a high pitched whimper, jutted his hips forward slightly feeling the side of his cock rub against Derek’s stubbled jaw._

_“You look so hot, Stiles. It makes me want you so bad.” Derek’s hand left Stiles’ nipples and gripped the base of his cock, earning a soft mew from Stiles. Derek licked over the head once again, groaning._

_“You have no idea how good you taste Stiles.” Derek consumed him whole, sliding Stiles’ shaft right down his throat. Stiles groaned loudly, toes curling, feeling every inch of Derek’s hot mouth. He heard Derek whimper and look down to see Derek stroking himself, leaking over his sheets._

_Stiles leaned forward to grab a hold of Derek but Derek released his cock pinning him back on to the bed, arms over his head._

_“You don’t get to touch me Stiles, not yet.” Derek groaned in to his neck, settling one of his thighs between Stiles’ legs._

_“God, you smell so fucking good Stiles, it’s driving me wild.” Derek started to move his hips, his wet cock jutting at the line of Stiles’ hip. He was biting down on Stiles’ neck, marking him, making Stiles moan loudly. Gently licking his mark, Derek gently ran his tongue up the side of Stiles’ neck to the sensitive spot back his ear it. Stiles whimpered loudly, smashing his hips against Derek’s, his cock now jutted against the groove of Derek hip._

_“Derek! Please! I need—I need, I need to feel you.” Derek growl, almost animal like and started to grind himself harshly down on Stiles, their bodies causing friction on their cocks._

_“I can’t want to see you cum Stiles,” Derek groaned into his ear, licking the outer shell, “To see your face when pleasure overcomes you, watching you shoot all over yourself. Oh fuck Stiles; I can’t wait to taste you.” There movements had become frantic now but still managing enough rhythm to move together._

_“I’m close Derek!” Stiles panted. Derek shot up, taking both their cocks in his hands._

_“Come for me Stiles! I need it; I need you to cum for me.” Stiles felt the pressure build below his waist, Derek’s hand moving faster and faster frantically jerking Stiles off. The pressure became overwhelming as pleasure surged through his entire body, every muscle clenched as Stile came; vision whitening, shooting hard and fast, squirting over his own face, covering his chest and Derek’s hand._

_A few minutes passed and Stiles came back, having blacked out from the intense orgasm. Stiles looked up at the older man stoking his thick cock furiously, whimpering Stiles’ name, licking Stiles’ mess from his hand. Derek looked down at Stiles, pupils completely blown, needy look spread across his face._

_“Stiles, I’m coming, Stiles, oh—Fuck!”_ Stiles shot up in his bed panting heavily, extremely out of breath. It took him a minute to realize what was going on; expecting to see Derek but it was only him. Stiles shifted slightly, feeling the stickiness of his sheets and now semen soaked boxers.

Stiles hadn’t had a wet dream before and if he had to have the option to have one again, he would check off the fuck yes box. Up to date that was probably the hottest thing Stiles has ever experienced and he could only imagine if he ever had a chance, what the real thing would be like.

A gentle knock came on the door and Stiles’ father voices filtered in through the door telling him he was going to run late if he never got up. Stiles sighed flicking his stained blanket off him, making a mental note to throw it in the washer later on.

He awkwardly pealed his boxers off himself and threw it in his laundry basket. Grabbing his phone Stiles dashed towards the bathroom naked, knowing his father was downstairs getting ready. He was surprised and a little excited to see a text from Derek. Immediately opening it Stiles chuckled to himself.

**What did Ash say after he ate Butterfree?** Stiles didn’t need to know the answer to know this was going to be a very lame joke, worse than his for sure.

Sending back a reply asking Derek what the answer was, Stiles hopped in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the remnants of the dream. He was glad his dad was home this morning. He was usually gone before Stiles got up and barely saw him at night because something would always come up. It’s not like Stiles’ dad was a neglective father, just one with a lot of responsibilities. Stiles didn’t mind either way it gave him the freedom that he loved having and gave him a sense of responsibility that most people his age never really had these days. Stiles was going to take the opportunity to let his father know that he was gay. It was a long overdue conversation, Stiles’ father really deserved to know and Stiles couldn’t take being held back from being who he really was.

Rinsing himself off the last of the soap on his body Stiles turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He lamely reached for his phone, stomach fluttering with excitement, hoping that Derek had replied, which he has so Stiles was extremely excited.

**I can’t believe it’s not butter! :)** Stiles laughed out loud despite the joke being the worst thing in the world

_You called my joke lame? That was pretty bad! It’s okay though, I never thought you had a good sense of humor anyways. :P_ Stiles replied with grin and finished towelling off, wrapped it around his waist and headed off to his room to get changed.

Downstairs, his father was sitting at the end of the table with a mug of coffee, which Stiles probably guessed he was mug number three.

“Morning son, you want me to fix you something for breakfast?” Stiles shook his head.

“Nah, I’m running late, I might grab something on the way or just wait till I get there to get something.”  Stiles’ dad smiled and nodded and Stiles fled to the kitchen feeling his pocket vibrate.

**Well I was trying to make you feel better about telling me and lame joke last night. At least give me points for being a nice guy. If my sense of humor does suck, remember that I do laugh at the things you say.** Derek was teasing Stiles again because Stiles knew he was funny, awkward but funny.

_Ouch, low blow, a very low blow._ Stiles responded and headed back out into the dining room. He took a deep breath and sat down next to his father, who hadn’t looked up from the morning paper.

“Would you do me a favor after school son?” Stiles nodded but he doubt that he father saw it. “Could you run to the supermarket and pick up a few things? We are running kind of low.” Stiles hummed under his breath.

“Ah, Dad, I need to tell you something…” Stiles started to fiddle with his hands, which was always a bad sign. He was a nervous and awkward person to begin with but when he got real nervous, like he was now, Stiles would fiddle with his hands to try and distract himself from the task at hand.

“Stiles, what have you done now? It has nothing to do with that nice teacher of yours—Mr. Hale? The one who offered to try and boost your grades up? We had this conversation.” Stiles remembers that conversation very well. It was over the weekend and up until that point Stiles hadn’t see his dad since he found out about his private sessions with Derek. Stiles was of course being a child, as usual and ignoring his father. Even though at the time he was sort of looking forward to his after school session with Derek, he was still mad at his father for getting him into the situation in the first place. It was basically the principle of the whole thing, Stiles’ dad feeling like he has to over step his bounds and interrupted what Stiles worked so hard to achieve.

In the end, the conversation ended up in verbal bloodshed. Stiles dad pulled the I’m the parent and I know what best for you card. Which Stiles thought was utter bullshit but let it slide because his father thought he was right (even though Stiles does admit now he sort of was) and meant the end of the argument.

“No, dad it has nothing to do with De—Mr. Hale. There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” The Sheriff had put down his paper and tentatively reached over and grabbed Stiles’ shaking hands.

“Son, is everything okay?” Stiles harshly shuddered out a breath, feeling his father’s reassuring hand. This was a lot harder than he expected, he opened his mouth but there were no words coming out. He looked down at his father’s hand and he wanted to cry. After his mother’s death, his dad tried. Stiles knew that and knew that losing someone that you loved that much took its toll. Stiles looked a lot like his mother, his father told him sometimes after he had a few drinks. That Stiles got so much from her that he left his father in awe sometimes.

Stiles at first resented his father for it at first. Not being able to see past his grief and care for his son. It took time and in that time Stiles realized that no one was perfect, especially not his father. His father loved him, there was no question but now it was in his own way. Stiles never really understood it, it seemed like Stiles reminded his father so much of his mother that it hurt him. Stiles looked down at his father’s hand and looked into his eyes, seeing worry there, knowing that Stiles was going through something and causing him so much turmoil.

Despite his faults, Stiles loved his father and he didn’t want to lose that. It was why this was so hard. It’s hard to tell someone something about yourself that you know will change their perspective of you. Not you as a person but the kind of life Stiles’ father envisioned for him: wife, kids, white picket fence and an annoying dog. It scared Stiles to rip that away from him after so much being taken away from him already, from the both of them. To take away the few dreams his father had left and held on too. Stiles didn’t want his dad to feel like he lost his son and Stiles certainly didn’t want to lose his father because right down too it his dad was the only person he really had. Maybe Scott but after coming out to him, the distance had started to get bigger.

Stiles needed his father.

“I’m—, “Stiles found his voice, it was harsh and thick with emotion.

“I’m gay.” Stiles closed his eyes and felt a tear slip down his cheek. He braced himself for his father to rip his hands away and Stiles flinched when something swiped the tear off his face. He opened his eyes in surprise and looked at his father, eyes filling up. He pulled Stiles to his feet and embraced him. Stiles stood in a moment of shock before he latched onto his father, feeling this wall come down.

“I know,” his father whispered and Stiles let it all go. The worries, the doubt, the crushing fear of losing his father and let himself cry. He remembered the last time he cried in front of his father. It was a couple of years ago when Stiles has fully realized he was gay. He didn’t know what to do, he felt broken, like he was somehow wrong but most of all he was scared. Afraid of what people would do to him if they ever found out but mostly Stiles needed his mother. No matter what, she would have understood, she would have accepted him, no matter what and it was what Stiles needed at the time. On the anniversary of her death the weight had crushed Stiles; he was left sobbing into his father jacket at the grave site.

It took Stiles a few moments to realize what his father actually said. He lifted his head off his father’s shoulder, breaking the embrace Stiles looked at his father. His eyes were puffy and red just like Stiles imagines his was as well.

“What do you mean you already knew?” Stiles asked wiping the tear marks from his face. His father squeezed his shoulders tightly and stepped back smiling.

“Do you remember a few months ago when my computer crashed? I needed to search up something so I went to use your computer. When I went to search something in, your past searches came up and yeah, it wasn’t hard to figure out from there.” If Stiles could actually die from embarrassment he would in the very moment.

“Oh god, just kill me now. Why didn’t you tell me? Do you know how long I struggled to tell you?” Stiles said thinking that this could have been avoided if he father spoke up.

“I was going to tell you but I talked to a few of the gay cops at the station and they said to wait for you to come to me. To make sure you were ready.” Stiles let an ‘oh’ escape from his lips and he couldn’t help but think which of the cops at the station were gay. He also felt proud that his father approached them about this.

“I do think we need to have the talk though.” Stiles gaped at him.

“Oh, no dad, we really, really don’t!” Stiles said putting his hands up and then his father gave him a look.

“I really think we do… The bareback gay porn you searched up makes me worry about how safe you plan on being or have been.” Stiles’ dad was officially trying to kill him. Stiles abruptly turned and walked away bee-lining right for the door.

“I mean it Stiles! We are having that talk!”  Stiles waved his hand and raced out his door into his jeep and he stopped for a moment to take a breath; his mind blown, he never pictured his coming out to his father to go down like that, never in a million years.

\---

Directly after school Stiles had gone to the supermarket, like his father asked earlier. He was still in awe from their conversation that happened this morning. He was completely shocked that his father knew about his sexuality. Stiles knew he was quirky and a little weird but there was no way his father automatically assumed he was gay based of some Google searches. His father knew he looked up weird things all the time. Stiles remembered one time he father caught him looking up the mating cycle of flamingos, he’ll never forget the weird look that his father gave him then. Stiles never thought he acted gay—or effeminate, which was a better way of putting it. Stiles clearly underestimated his father detective abilities; it doesn’t really surprise him anymore why his dad got elected Sheriff, despite knowing Stiles’ sexuality without him dropping any obvious hints, Stiles’ father could actually do the job and do it properly.

Stiles thought about all the gay cops in the force, it had honestly surprised him a lot. He never got that gay vibe from any of the men that worked there and he was around them all enough to know them all. As much as Stiles hated to stereotype, he couldn’t see any of the gay people he knew, to be a cop. It was very hard not to do when you were in a small town like his. Beacon Hills wasn’t gay central by any means and the only open people in the town were the ones who were flamboyant. It was really rare to meet another gay male that acted like what society considered ‘normal’. With the exception of Danny of course, he was literally the perfect example of an amazing individual, why couldn’t Stiles be interested in Danny? He was attractive, incredibly smart, funny, patient, which is something you’d need to deal with Stiles; Stiles wasn’t delusional when it came the last point, it took certain kind of person to deal with him. Jackson could be another guy like Danny. Stiles wasn’t totally convinced that Jackson was entirely straight; the guy was just too pretty, unnaturally pretty. He would never admit this though, to anyone—ever. Instead Stiles was crushed out on his incredibly hot teacher who was completely off limits and unattainable.

For a moment Stiles entertained the idea of his dad possibly hooking him up with one of the cops at the station. He was nowhere near that desperate, especially to have his dad to play matchmaker for him. Stiles suddenly felt his stomach drop slightly with the thought of being with someone else, someone other than Derek. It felt like Stiles was somehow betraying Derek in some way, like just having a thought about potentially being with someone else, made him feel guilty. This crush or whatever it was seemed to be taking on a life of its own and it was starting to scare Stiles a little. He was starting to get deep—too deep, possibly point of no return deep.

Stiles couldn’t help it though. He constantly found himself gravitating towards Derek, where ever he was. Take when he got to school today for example. He got out of his car and he noticed Derek ahead of him, on his phone—actually texting Stiles, it took all Stiles` willpower not to run up them and jump on him. He barely stopped himself; he was almost in a half jog before he decided it would be a completely disastrous idea. It sort of felt wrong to approach Derek like Stiles would approach Scott, throwing his arms over his shoulders and giving him a grin. It’s not like Stiles didn`t want to touch Derek it’s just he wasn`t sure of if the touches would be wanted, especially Derek still being his teacher. Despite the texting and Derek`s casual attitude towards Stiles he knew Derek loved his job. Stiles felt displaying such a familiarity toward him on school grounds would raise some eyebrows.

Stiles definitely enjoyed touching Derek, even going out of his way to cross his boundary to do so. He couldn`t help it, just fed off Derek`s reactions, he would sometimes get flustered at Stiles sudden forwardness and Stiles ate it up. Today at the lunch session for example: Derek had a thread hanging off his sweater, which looked amazing on him. Stiles had abruptly leaned forward in the middle of Derek droning on about something Stiles did wrong on his paper for earlier in the school year and pulled the thread out. Derek had stuttered his sentence to silence once Stiles was mere inches from his face and Stiles saw pink tinge fill his cheeks, Stiles couldn`t help leaning back into his chair, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Today`s session has been completely different from the other ones. It seemed more professional then the other ones. It had taken Stiles a little by surprised considering the way they has been texting, he almost expected it to carry over to their sessions as well. Stiles was struggling not crack jokes every two seconds but Derek was trying to strictly keep it just about the paper and how Stiles could make improvements for when he rewrites it. Stiles couldn’t really get mad, even though he was feeling some frustration bubble up in his chest. Derek was still his teacher and still had a job to do and not sit and joke around, which was exactly what Stiles wanted to do. As much as it disappointed Stiles, he still managed to get a crack in there and seeing Derek try not to smile made him feel like he was floating, which made the waste of his lunch hour completely worth it.

Stiles had also wanted to mention the texting in general to Derek, to see if he was actually okay, completely okay with one of his student’s texting him. Stiles of course had gotten distracted by many of Derek’s physical attributes, his eyebrows being Stiles’ center of focus today because Stiles was so far gone enough to the think that even the man’s eyebrows were flawless. Once Stiles left the session he had realized that yes, he had forgotten to ask Derek but the text he received from him moments later settled any of his reservations and worries.

Stiles grabbed a shopping cart and went on autopilot around the supermarket. Throwing the usually things in the cart being sure to pick out the freshest fruits and vegetables from the produce section. He was in and out of there within twenty minutes, which is a record for Stiles because he loved food and could actually spend hours looking around for new things to try. He almost bought a case of Root Beer to give to Derek, sort of like a small thank you for the sessions but he decided that it would go completely against him trying to force feed Derek healthy food. He had let Derek slide today because he had brought a sandwich, which was an upgrade from a bag of chips.

Balancing the groceries in his hand, Stiles reached into his pocket to check his phone to see if there had been any text messages. One was from Scott asking him if he was up to do something adventurous with everybody this weekend, another was from his dad asking him if he remember to go to the supermarket and the last was Derek asking him what he was doing. Stiles reached his jeep before he got a chance to answer Derek but he let both his father and Scott know yes. Laying his bags in the back of his jeep, Stiles heard a squawk, followed by a curse and looked down to see an orange hit his foot.

Looking around the other side of the Jeep he saw a pretty girl with jet black hair scurrying around her car picking up food that must have fallen to the ground. Stiles being the gentleman that his mother and father raised him to be, went over near the woman and started to help her pick up some of the food from the ground. Stiles carried the armful of food to the trunk where she was putting all the food she had picked up in a spare bag. She smiled at him gratefully and opened the bag towards him to drop the food in.

“Thank you so much!” She exclaimed, “These recycled, greener earth bags are actually an absolute piece of crap.” She said as she bent over to pick up the last of the food, throwing it into the bag and tossed that into her trunk.

“You’re welcome!” Stiles replied politely, getting ready to turn around and walk away but there was something about her he couldn’t quite place. He was trying not to be a creeper by staring at her but she caught him looking at her, probably thinking he was checking her out. She looked at him and paused for a moment before she broke out into a wide smile.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” She asked putting her fingers to her lips. Stiles then immediately recognized her. She was the girl Derek was on a date with Saturday night at the restaurant. Stiles couldn’t help the jealousy that coiled in his stomach; he really needed to leave now before he said something completely unwarranted.

“You’re the guy that wiped out on the restaurant floor on Saturday night weren’t you?” She beat him too it and of course she would remember that it was Stiles who fell on his ass that day. She grinned when she saw Stiles flush with embarrassment, his annoyance for her growing exponentially. This is what he gets for helping someone out.

“Yeah, that was me; my feet are a lot bigger than they should be.” Stiles said flatly and this earned an even bigger smile from her. He saw her bite her tongue, making it seem like she was pondering something.

“I remember you spend an awful lot of time staring at my brother too.” Brother? She was Derek’s sister. Stiles couldn’t help but smile slightly, happiness filtering through his veins knowing that Derek wasn’t on a date.

“You didn’t know that I was his sister did you? It would explain why you spent a good chunk of the night glaring at me.” She challenged him here, to see if Stiles would respond to her. He got the feeling like she does this a lot to people. Now that he really looked at her, it wasn’t hard to tell that she was Derek’s sister. She was even more beautiful up close with her petite features and black hair the flowed down past her shoulders. Despite her delicate features, the fierceness in her green eyes told him that she was anything but delicate. There was no mistake that her and Derek were related, Stiles was really kicking himself now.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Stiles saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes seeing that Stiles was denying her challenge. He really needed to play stupid, “I remember seeing you both at the restaurant but I wasn’t aware of any staring.” The way she was staring at him was making Stiles uncomfortable; it was like she was sizing him up for dinner or something.

“You weren’t aware that you were glaring holes into my face?” She smiled at him, trying to provoke him ever more. Stiles was at a loss for words, trying to come up with some sort of excuse because he knew if his eyes were a weapon she would have died that night.

“Maybe I was looking out for my teacher, he’s a nice guy. Maybe I thought he could do better.” The words had come out from Stiles’ mouth before he even thought about it. She gave him an incredulous look before shaking her head and laughing.

“Oh, man. Someone’s extremely hot for teacher.” Stiles opened his mouth to deny it but exerted the control it took him years to master and closed his mouth. He knew if he started talking now he’ll end up endlessly babbling and he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction. She grinned at him before she got into the driver side of her car, rolling down the window before looking back out at him.

“Dinner,” She said, giving Stiles an amused look.

“Dinner at our place, I’ll cook. I’ll do you a favor and let you spend a nice casual evening with Derek, call it a thank you for being so mannerly and helping me with my groceries.” She raised an eyebrow, her way of letting Stiles know she was expecting an answer.

“What makes you think I would be interested in something like that?” Stiles said, holding his ground.

“Come off it, I know you want too and don’t deny it,” She started her car, “Besides, I want to get to know the guy who keeps making my baby brother smile.” She was winked at Stiles.

“Night cutie.” She literally sped out of the parking lot on to the street, leaving Stiles in a form of shock next to his jeep.

Despite finding out that she was actually Derek’s sister; he really didn’t like any more than he previously had. There was no way he was going to go to this dinner; it would be a disaster waiting to happen. Stiles thought about what she had said that she wanted to get to know the guy who was making Derek smile. Stiles was completely confused as how in the world she would even know that Derek and he were even talking. Unless, Derek had talked about him and that seemed ridiculous but there was no other explanation.

Stiles felt nerves flutter through his stomach at the thought of Derek being interested in him because why else would Derek talk about him and have his sister notice a change in him. Maybe Derek had told her that Stiles was some weird kid who he teaches and just so happens to text him every moment he can. Stiles still hoped that maybe Derek was interested in him but wasn’t really sure but he figured that this was Derek’s sisters purpose, to mess with his head.

This dinner could potentially be a good idea after all. To get to see Derek outside of a school area and see what he is really like, no restraints or boundaries. Maybe she was doing Stiles a favour but it doesn’t mean Stiles wasn’t going to dish out what she will give him. She reminded him of an older version of Lydia and he wasn’t going to let this version get the best of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I hope to update soon! :)


	4. Type

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I hope you guys enjoy! Sorry for the all the errors in this chapter! I'm pretty sure I was asleep writing it, I tried to fix as much as I could but you can never catch everything.

Chapter 4: Type

_Derek_

Derek was pushing boundaries, he knew it. He knew that he was being inappropriate and wouldn't be too surprised if Stiles called him out on it. He really wanted to stop, stop edging Stiles on, flirting with him, teasing him; he was becoming a willing Stiles addict and knew that he probably wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

Derek's jaw was actually starting to hurt from all the smiling he was doing. Not that he never smiled but Stiles was constantly texting him and each time he felt his pocket vibrate, the corner of his lips would pull upwards automatically.

The boy was brilliant, clever, witty and a sharp tongue to boot. Stiles' brain not to mention his body was turning Derek on in ways he couldn't even fathom. He was literally surprised at his self restraint because all he could think about during class, their session earlier today was how many different ways he could take Stiles over his desk. How he would sound as he dove into him, would he whine? Almost like a whimper as he lost control of his own body to Derek, letting Derek make him fall apart underneath him. Would he be a screamer? Would he talk? Babble incoherent sentences at Derek. He didn't think that would be something that would get him going but the thought of anything coming from Stiles mouth would make him crazy.

The boy was literally going to drive him crazy.

He couldn't stop fixating on certain parts of Stiles' anatomy. Today had been his lips, those red, chapped lips that Stiles darted his tongue across an unhealthy amount of times. It was a kink Derek never thought he would have, fantasizing mid lecture at nine in the morning about the boy's lips. He couldn't stop thinking what it would be like to kiss them, feel the soft flutter against his—licking the dry lips wet. The thought of those lips working their way down Derek's body, the thought of pushing his cock between them gave Derek shivers.

The fact that a few days ago, before the dinner with his sister Derek was certain that was going to ignore Stiles and pretend that this, whatever it was, wasn't going to happen. After speaking with his sister and spending more time with Stiles and talking with him through text, Derek had flat out wanted him. That scared him. It had only been a few days and Derek was already lusting after the boy like a dog in heat and Derek was afraid that his judgement was being severely clouded.

He had felt the same frustration as Stiles did at their lunch time session today. Stiles had text him saying he had plans after school, so a lunch 'date' as he put it would be better. He could feel Stiles' excitement and tension. Derek was afraid he was going to explode in the chair, screaming and babbling at him, anything he could. The thing was that Derek wanted him too. Derek couldn't help but swoon for Stiles' babbling, finding it insanely cute. But their surroundings kept him focused on what was really important, what they were actually there for and that was Stiles' education. He had almost given into Stiles' attempts to goof off several times but he managed to get done what he needed to get done during the session. He was still Stiles' teacher, at least within these walls at least.

Derek had decided that for him to entertain the idea of both of them, he had to know whether it would affect his ability to do his job. He thought he had done well, besides the fantasizing about Stiles' mouth among other things; Derek managed to do his job, which is what he needed to know. He wasn't going to let this crush get in the way of his future and he had to make sure that this thing, whatever it was wasn't going to do that. If he could handle a one on one with Stiles and remain completely—well sort of professional then that was good enough for him.

In all honestly though, Derek had no clue what this was, even if it was anything. All he knew was that he was having very gay feelings for his potentially gay student, very strong lustful feelings for him. It was hard imagining Stiles not returning some sort of feelings for him. Derek wasn't blind, he did notice the way Stiles looked at him sometimes and how he reacted in the sessions. All that meant is that Stiles probably liked men and probably found Derek attractive, but the nervousness and all the telltale signs of a crush that Derek knew all too well about could be chalked up to Stiles just being Stiles. There were too many what ifs and not enough solid answers. If Derek could learn Stiles sexual orientation or get solid proof that Stiles really was returning fire and being serious and not eccentric, then Derek would think about making a move, a small move, but one that would be crossing all the boundaries.

Boundaries that filled Derek with excitement instead of the fear and worry he expected it too.

Derek was sitting on top of the kitchen counter when he heard Laura pull into the driveway. He looked at his phone to see if he got a text from Stiles. Derek tried not to sulk at the fact there was no new messages from him because that what he did now, sulk over a hyperactive teenager not texting him back. Hearing Laura struggle with the groceries Derek figured he should probably help her but if the roles were reversed she would watch him so he decided to stay put. When Laura finally made it into the kitchen Derek had gotten even more comfy eating some of his favorite Pop Tarts.

"Thanks for all the help." She shot at him as she laid the food on the floor.

"Well, you are an independent women, wouldn't want to take that away from you." He laughed, licking his tongue out at her. She rolled her eyes and started to unload all the food onto the counters.

"You won't believe what happened to me at the supermarket today." Laura grinned making Derek a little nervous, he never knew what to expect with Laura.

"I'm leaving the supermarket and just before I reach the car the damn bag breaks open, food going everywhere," Derek laughed slightly at this, Laura hated the reusable grocery bags. She was the only one that he knew who had so much trouble with them breaking all the time.

"Then guess who comes to my rescue, your teenage boyfriend!" Derek choked on the last bite of his Pop Tart sending him into a choking fit. When he finally gained composer Derek needed to know what the hell Laura did, it would explain why Stiles hadn't text him back, something he still wasn't sulking over.

"What did you do to him?" Laura gave him a look that mocked being offended.

"Do you think that little of me?" Derek gave her a look that said yes. "Fine, no I didn't do anything too bad probably just helped you guys move this thing—whatever it is along a little faster." Derek rolled his eyes in annoyance, Laura really needed to stay out of his business, and everything she decided to help him with always came down crashing and burning.

"What happened?" Derek asked trying to keep the irritation in his voice down to a minimum. He knew that it would only provoke her and hinder her from telling him what he needed to know.

"Well, he came over, helped me like a nice young gentleman should—maybe you should take some lessons from him on that topic. At least you managed to pick one of the well mannered teenagers at least." Derek could tell that Laura's jokes about Stiles' age were going to get old very soon.

"That's when I recognized him and decided to play stupid and pretend not to know that I knew exactly who he was but that I did know him from the restaurant on Saturday. I teased him about face planting on the floor in front of everyone." Laura laughed and Derek started to tap his foot impatiently, he did feel a smile start to form at the thought of Stiles falling over, something Derek has always found a little too funny but Laura didn't need to know that—it would be counterproductive at the moment

"I called him out on his staring at you the entire time we were there. Also how he spent the entire time glaring holes through me." Derek hopped off the counter, digging for his phone in his pocket. He texted Stiles and immediately apologized for his sister.

"Are you serious Laura? Why couldn't you leave this alone? Just leave me to deal with this." This wasn't just a potential relationship to Derek; it was also his job on the line as well, one he was good at, one he loved. All it could take was for Laura or him to push Stiles too far, make him uncomfortable and that would be the end of it.

"Let me finished before you jump down my throat" Laura snapped at him. Derek sighed, leaning back against the counter, motioning Laura to continue, hoping he will feel his pocket vibrate any moment.

"He tried to play stupid, until he realized that I was your sister and not your girlfriend. Derek, you should have seen the relief on his face, He was so jealous at the thought of me being your girlfriend." This surprised Derek, jealousy wasn't an emotion he thought Stiles would express. He couldn't blame him though because if Stiles had a boyfriend or girlfriend, Derek would be jealous, horrible to say, he wasn't normally a jealous person, he was just more possessive then anything, he just liked things that were  _his_  to stay that way. He couldn't help the nervousness that flutter into his stomach at the thought of why Stiles was jealous.

Maybe Stiles was interested in him.

"Then, because I am me, I pushed a little further and he sort of insulted me. Telling me that he was glaring because he thought you're a great guy, that he was looking out for you and he thought you could do better." Derek's eyes widened a little at that news, he couldn't believe Stiles—his Stiles had been so blunt. Stiles was right though, if he found someone with a personality like his sister—let's just say it would never happen.

"I know right, pretty presumptuous if you ask me! Especially where he barely knows you! There's nothing completely wrong with me! I make great girlfriend material, it’s just that if guys weren't such dicks then maybe I'd have one. Just because you have one doesn't mean you need to be one." That made Derek chuckle, Laura's tract record with guys was pretty bad, it took a special person to deal with her. "Then I proceeded to tell him he was hot for teacher." Derek choked on the water he decided to drink at that very moment, she didn't, who was he kidding, she would. He was still on why exactly Stiles would say something like that to Laura, what would he gain? It was obvious that Stiles was jealous, maybe the comment aimed at Laura could be Stiles only trying to insult her, it made sense, with the way Laura was getting on and all. It made Derek feel oddly proud of Stiles, most people found Laura too intimidating to challenge her antics.

"Then I invited him for dinner!" Laura announced happily, snapped Derek out of any thoughts he was currently having.

"You did—WHAT?" Derek was seriously hoping he had misheard, praying that he had misheard her.

"Dinner: me, you and him." She smiled and walked passed Derek heading toward the living room, Derek immediately chased after her.

"Laura, what honestly possessed you to ever think that was a good idea? What were you thinking?" Derek was pissed, he was really tired of Laura butting into his business, she didn't realize that this relationship, whatever it was, needed to be handled by Derek and Derek only.

"I don't see what the problem is Derek? You like him, why I will never know but as the fates have it the boy seems to be hot for you too. Take this opportunity to get to know him, not in the classroom surrounded by rules and boundaries, let him get to know Derek and not just Mr. Hale." Derek opened his mouth to argue with Laura but closed it when he realized she was right.

If Stiles was interested in him he could take this chance to be sure about it. Derek knew he wanted Stiles and if Stiles was interested in him, which him did he want? Derek knew he was a different person outside of school but that is to be expected because there had to be a certain level of professionalism, a level that blurs when Stiles is around. The boy had invaded Derek's life and made him feel like he himself was in high school again. Constant nervousness, sweaty palms, the way Stiles made his heart flutter and his stomach knot up. How his classroom always seemed to be a few degrees hotter than normal. How no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop looking in Stiles direction, completely mesmerized by the young man, every small movement fascinated him. Derek was getting to know Stiles, the person but Stiles was getting to know Mr. Hale, his teacher.

He wanted Stiles to get to know Derek Hale, the person. The one that would be content for the rest of his life to just listen to the young man speak, laugh, joke and gaze into those liquid amber eyes that spread a warmth through him, a warmth he couldn't understand.

"Thank you." Derek said and Laura nodded in approval, shock written on her face slightly, probably expecting Derek to put up a fight.

"You're welcome!" She smiled, "Now ask him when he wants to come over?" Derek reached his phone; completely forgotten he had even texted Stiles.

"Is tomorrow good for you?" Derek smiled seeing that Stiles replied, not missing how Laura rolled her eyes but at the moment he really didn't care.

"Tomorrow's good lover-boy," Laura had got up declaring that she was going to finish cooking the supper she started before she had to run to the supermarket.

 **I really don't like your sister.**  Stiles had replied and Derek couldn't help but chuckle as he crashed to the couch. Not very many people did.

 _She is who she is, one of a kind really._  Derek hoped that Stiles didn't dislike her too much, she was actually really great when you got used to her.

 **She invited me over to dinner for some reason, I got trapped into saying yes and I hope that doesn't bother you or make you too uncomfortable.**  Derek tried not to let Stiles feeling like he was being trapped into coming here bother him but the idea of Stiles hating being here was making his stomach churn a little.  **I won't come over if you don't want me there, if you feel like it would be too inappropriate.**  Derek knew it was completely inappropriate but he was already excited about this and really wanted Stiles at his place.

 _I would love to have you over but if you're feeling like you got trapped into this maybe you shouldn't come over. I don't want you somewhere you don't want to be_. Derek couldn't help but feel a little discouraged at the thought of Stiles not wanting to come over, even more so if he decided not to come over. He cursed Laura because of that. He knew her heart was in the right place but the way she approaches and goes about things is completely insane.

 **No! That's not what I meant!** Stiles replied immediately, Derek could picture Stiles furiously texting this babble and Derek couldn't help but smile at it.

 **Your sister just invited me over and left without me giving much of a response. I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with me coming over. What I meant by feeling trapped was that I didn't want hurt her feeling by not showing up and then making you upset by being rude.**  If only Laura was that easily offended, she probably would call Stiles a chicken shit and eat the extra food.  **Basically, I didn't want to put you in an awkward position.**

 _What you're saying is that you do want to come over now that you know I'm okay with it? You do know that Laura will still be here right?_ Derek had liked how Stiles was so cautious around Derek. It told Derek that Stiles understood that he might be uneasy having one of his students at his home, having dinner with him. Derek was the complete opposite of what Stiles was feeling. He was actually too excited to have Stiles come over, something that surprised Derek more and more. In past relationships Derek always tried to keep his home life and family out of arms length of whoever he was seeing at the time (the exception being Kate but look how well that turned out). He was worried about Laura though, knowing the disaster that had happened that weekend he brought Kate over. He wondered if he could talk Laura down to taking it easy on Stiles, knowing that he really didn't like her much as it is.

 **Yes, I really like spending time with you. It's nice to have someone other than Scott to hang out with. I'm not worried about your sister, if she starts, I can handle my own. My mouth is my ultimate weapon.**  Stiles never said any truer words until just now. His mouth was the ultimate weapon, one that Derek fawned over. Spent a little too much time trying to be creative with how many things he could to that mouth or what it could do to him.

Derek knew that Stiles never really had a lot of friends but Scott couldn't be his only one though. He had seen Stiles around Allison Argent a few times but the girl being Scott's girlfriend that was to be expected. Lydia wasn't Stiles friend, from what Derek has seen. The girl spent way to much mocking him during his class; it had angered Derek several times, barely restraining himself to tell the girl to stop. Was it literally just Scott? The thought sadden Derek. Despite his completely inappropriate crush on Stiles he knew that Stiles was someone he would have been friends with. He wasn't the most popular person in school but he did have a group of friends and he knew that in high school, he would have wanted Stiles standing right beside him, no doubt about that.

 _Is it always just you and Scott?_  Derek asked, just curious too who else Stiles had in his life. Derek heard Laura call out to him, letting him know that their food was almost ready.

 **Generally, it used to be me and Scott against the world but he scored Allison and now I don't see him near as much. He has been pretty distant lately so it's nice to talk to someone who seems to enjoy talking to me; at least I hope he does…**  Derek felt his heart clench a little, he never thought about how lonely he must be, to be surrounded by these people who don't seem to really care about him and have his only friend be so distant towards him. Derek is pretty sure he would have pulled Stiles into a hug if they had actually talked about this in person.

 _Well Stiles, I do know this guy quite well and I am fairly certain that he does enjoy talking to you too. Actually he told me that it makes going into his correcting cave worth it because he knows you'll have something random or funny waiting for him when he finally decides to leave, he has you to look forward too._  Derek hoped that put a smile on Stiles face. The boy deserved to smile and Derek wanted to be the one to do it.

 **You sure know how to make a guy blush.**  Derek was cursing technology at this moment because would have given anything to see Stiles blush, he seen it before but for Stiles to actually admit it, makes him need to see all the more. This texting thing was starting to get really old.

 _Well, I only speak the truth. Listen I got to eat and then head off to my cave to correct some assignments, I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully for dinner as well?_  Derek got off the sofa and headed into the dining room where Laura was impatiently waiting for him.

 **You keep this up and I'll have no other choice then to keep you around. Tomorrow sound great, See you!**  This made Derek grin widely as he sat down. He heard Laura moan in annoyance.

"All your smiling is making me nauseous." Derek grinned even wider and Laura rolled her eyes.

"Don't be jealous." Derek said smiling into his food as he dug in. He enjoyed the thought of Stiles wanting to keep him around too much. For the first time he didn't even deny, not in the slightest about how excited he was to see the younger man tomorrow.

\--

Derek didn't see Stiles again until lunch time. It was pretty lame for him to admit that he actually missed seeing Stiles throughout his day. He normally had Stiles' class in the morning and Wednesday's seem to be the lucky day were he never had him. Derek was holding on to the dinner at his place tonight which he was completely nervous for. Laura said she was going to cook something delicious for supper and he hoped Stiles liked whatever it was going to be.

Standing in the cafeteria lunch line Derek gathered the food he wanted and headed over to the line at the cash register. He normally brought his lunch but he had overslept and didn't have time to grab anything before he had to run out the door. Like a heat seeking Derek immediately found where Stiles was sitting in the lunchroom. He felt something tighten in his chest as he saw the scene of everyone seemingly giving Stiles a hard time, laughing at him. The sad smile that spread across his face and Derek tried hard to not let his jaw clench, glaring in that direction.

Derek felt a protective wave wash over him and he paid for his lunch, trying not to be rude to the lunch lady that always hopelessly flirted with him whenever he bought lunch from the cafeteria. A soon as he got his lunch he immediately started to head over to the table Stiles was seated at.

Scott was the first to notice Derek approaching, smile disappearing immediately. Derek tried to not to let any satisfaction show on his face. The rest of the table quieted down and Stiles looked up from his lunch and met with Derek's eyes. Stiles eyes brighten immediately and Derek's stomach was doing somersaults.

"Mrs. Martin." He acknowledged Lydia being the only student of the group besides Stiles that he taught. She gave him an odd look before smiling slightly and Derek returned it nodding towards the rest of the group.

"Stiles." Derek smiled, "I need to speak with you about something you handed in at our last session." Stiles gave him a confused look momentarily before he caught on and nodded at Derek.

"What about it?" He asked nervously, aware of the group's eyes on him.

"I just had a few questions. It can wait till our next session but I wanted to get it corrected and out of the way. If you have time after school, stop by my classroom?" Derek watched Stiles purse his lips. He was aware of the fact that Lydia was staring at him, head moving between him and Stiles curiosity written over her face, it was starting to unnerve Derek.

"I have plans after school today." That earned a weird look from Scott, probably wasn't used to Stiles hanging around someone other than himself and his girlfriends. Derek had really wanted to say, 'get used to it bitch' but realized that he wasn't back in high school and was completely above it.

"I can come now, shouldn't take too long right?" Stiles said, gathering his belongings and waited for Derek to lead the way.

"See you guys in a few." Stiles waved off his friends, walking along side Derek.

When they had left the cafeteria and made it into the hallways close to Derek's classroom he heard Stiles release a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for that!" Derek looked over at Stiles to see him beaming in his direction. Derek could feel his cheeks starting to get red.

"No problem, you looked like you needed to be rescued." Stiles hummed in agreement. When they got to Derek’s classroom, he left the door open a crack and sat in his seat, starting in at his lunch.

"What were they laughing at?" Derek immediately noticed Stiles tense.

"Nothing, they were just teasing me a little that's all." Derek paused chewing to look at the sad face that came across Stiles' before it went neutral again. It was slight but Derek caught it.

"You mind if I ask what they were saying." It was definitely a sensitive subject for Stiles. He seemed like a person to laugh off a joke about himself harder than anyone else but he wasn't in such high spirits about whatever the group was saying.

"Ah, dude, it's really awkward. It's not all of them, mostly just Jackson, with added commentary from Lydia." They were all pretty guilty in Derek's eyes. Just for laughing at Jackson comments, whatever they were was still a form of bullying

"Why do you sit with them then?" Stiles just shrugged and that frustrated Derek a little, he never understood why people never defended themselves or just played a part in their own abuse.

"Not all of them are bad. I like Danny and Allison but I mostly sit there because of Scott but the rest just flock there because of Scott's new social status." Stiles eyes flared up at that. It wasn't quite jealousy but more of annoyance that Derek understood. The fact that Scott letting his social status get to him and Stiles being left behind.

"I normally laugh that stuff off but some things—you can't always do that, especially after a while." Derek nodded, he understood, there was only so much laughing at yourself before you realize that the jokes on you.

"Did you think about telling Scott that it bothers you?" Stiles nodded but looked down at his hands, he was fiddling with them. Derek put down his pizza sub and sighed. There was obviously something more here than just people poking fun at Stiles. It had something to do with Scott and the way he was treating Stiles.

"I sort of have a confession to make..." Stiles said suddenly and Derek's heart literally stopped.

"I want your advice on how to deal with something—not that I'm assuming you'd know what to do but possibly had a friend in the same sort of situation." Derek's heart was going to beat out of his chest. What was Stiles trying to tell him? Was Stiles going to tell him about some crush he had on some skinny blonde twink or any person in general because that would crush Derek. That realization alone was telling Derek that he is in the a little too deep, liked Stiles too much.

"Okay, I'm going to vomit." Stiles said and this suspense was going to kill Derek, he realized that he was probably making it worse for Stiles because he actually hadn't said anything. He nodded in his direction, smiling at the boy, trying to encourage him what to say.

"I like boys."

"Oh." Derek said and then realized he just put his feet and both hands directly in his mouth because that wasn't the reaction Stiles was looking for.

Stiles is gay.

Stiles likes boys.

Stiles likes cock.

Stiles likes his cock? Likes him? This is all Derek could really think about at the moment and he was literally jumping for joy on the inside because all he needed now was for Stiles to be gay for him and all would be right with the world.

It took Derek a few moments to realize that Stiles was here and staring at him, a sickly expression on his face. His liquid amber eyes, bright and shining with so many emotions Derek couldn't look away. All Derek wanted to do was kiss Stiles, it would be so easy, to stand up and lean over, brushing their lips together.

He wanted it so badly.

He ached for it.

"Oh god. I'm s-sorry, I sh-shouldn't have told you, I'm such an idiot. I'm going to go." Stiles was a blur of limbs was already racing to the door.

"No, Stiles wait." Stiles stopped just before reaching the door, his back turned from Derek, probably trying avoid eye contact with him.

"Look at me." Derek ordered Stiles. It took the younger man a few moments but he eventually turned around, eyes slowly meeting his gaze. Derek could see the fear, the shame and the embarrassment; all he wanted to do was wipe it all away for the younger man.

"I don't care, I really don't. I'm so happy you told me, it must have been a really hard and brave thing to do." Derek really wanted to cup the side of Stiles' face and stroke his cheek, making all the worries disappear. Derek settled for the boys wrist, which he must have grabbed when he got up to meet Stiles, making sure he wouldn't run away. With his thumb Derek draw circle on the inside of Stiles' wrist, seeing the boy shudder as he did.

"I feel so dumb." Stiles admitted, Derek finally seeing the fear and shame washing off the younger man.

"You're not." Derek said, finally giving in to the urge to touch Stiles' face. He reached up and rubbed his thumb across his cheek. Derek couldn’t ignore the gasp that came from Stiles and the goosebumps that broke across his skin, shivers going up his spine.

"You said you needed my advice?" Derek said finally dropping his hand and letting go of Stiles' wrist.

"Oh yeah, It really doesn't matter anymore. I've done enough spilling my heart out today." Stiles replied with a smile and that made Derek frown a little. Clearly Stiles wanted to talk about it and being gay was a part of it, he wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

"Is that why they were teasing you? Because you gay?" Derek growled this out because if it was, this would be something he wouldn't tolerate. People had picked on him when he was growing up, they had thought he was weird because he was so quiet, that losing his parents and his family had broken him or something. Apparently sympathy could only get you so far when it came to the hateful words of children. Once Derek stood up for himself though, they all backed off and that's what Stiles needed to do, was put his foot down.

"They were teasing me about this guy—you, actually. Just making little digs about our sessions, making them seem like they were more than they were. Teasing me, saying that I am hot for you and things like that." This time it was time for Derek to join Stiles in blushing.

"It's not like they are right! I'm not hot for you or anything. I'm not saying that your ugly either—far from it—extremely attractive actually, in an extremely masculine way of course and—oh god, just stop me please! Why don't you just stop me!" Stiles blushed even more, burying his hands in his face.

"Cause it's cute." I took Derek a second to realize that he had actually said what he was thinking out loud.

"I think you should tell them to stop and let them know it bothers you. They'll never stop if they don't know any different, especially when you try to laugh it off." Derek tried to change the subject quickly, hoping that it completely went over Stiles' head. Judging by the way the younger boys head snapped up, wide eyed expression on his face. Derek guessed it never.

"You think I'm cute." Of course that's what Stiles would fixate on.

"Your rambling is cute, there's a difference." Derek really wanted Stiles to accept that answer because the boy was putting him on the spot and didn't think he could deal with the stress right now.

"Cop out answer; you totally think I'm cute!" Derek actually felt all the blood rush to his face, he is pretty sure his face has never been this red, at least it has never felt this red.

"It's okay, I know I am pretty adorable, irresistible actually, I'm surprised you've resisted me this long." Stiles had no idea how much self control Derek actually had, especially in the very moment. Derek was literally twitching to slam the boy into the nearest wall and have his way with him.

Derek tried giving Stiles a look to tell him to shut up but all it did was made him grin and continue.

"What else do you find cute about me?" Derek rolled his eyes and leaned back on his desk. Stiles knew he had Derek within his grasp and Derek wouldn't go down without a challenge, two could play this game.

"Your eyes," Derek said slowly.

"They aren't exactly cute but probably the most beautiful things I've ever seen." Derek smiled at Stiles, the boy's eyes widening, opening his mouth to say something but nothing coming out, just the flush spreading up his face speaking volumes.

Derek hadn't taken his eyes away from Stiles, he watched as they bore into his own, bright amber colour darkening because of his expanding pupils, mouth still slightly open, and tongue darting quickly over his lips. Derek couldn't help but look down at the Stiles moist red lips, how he want to taste them, he was so close.

They had gravitated even closer, becoming magnetic. Derek saw Stiles gaze drift to Derek lips. He watched the boy bite his own, contemplating what to do.

A knock on the door snapped Derek back into reality. He immediately broke Stiles' gaze and moved closer to his desk again, leaning slightly against it.

"Mr. Hale?" a quiet voice came from behind the almost closed door.

"Yes?" Derek said, not realizing how husky his voice had become. Erica Reyes cautiously opened the door, looking at Stiles before her eyes came across Derek.

"I was hoping to talk to you about something before class started this afternoon?" Derek sighed slightly, not loud enough for her to hear but moved back to his seat. He needed to get back into his desk before she saw the blatant hard on he has in his pants, it was a miracle Stiles hadn't noticed.

"I should probably get going…" Stiles spoke up, smiling slightly at Derek before gathering his things. Derek genuinely smiled back.

"Thanks for all the help." Stiles finished and bolted out of the classroom. Derek leaned back into his chair and motion Erica to come the rest of the way in.

"Now, what can I do for you today Ms. Reyes."

\--

Derek was going to give himself a mental breakdown. A full blown, just sit there and cry or throw up until he passes out, whatever one came first.

He felt weird about what had happened between Stiles and himself early that day at lunch. He wasn't sure if they would have kissed if Erica hadn't been interrupted. Derek wanted too and by the way Stiles was looking at him, the boy wanted to as well. He couldn't get the picture of Stiles' heavy lidded eyes, dark with he could only assume was want, and it gave Derek shivers just thinking about it.

Stiles has texted him shortly after, thanking him once again for letting him get away from his friends for a while and to thank him for him being cool with him being gay and all. Derek had told him there was nothing to thank him for. From there they kind of went back to the normal pattern of mindless texting for the rest of the day, not mentioning the heated moment earlier, which still loomed over Derek and he wished he could tell if it was the same for Stiles as well.

When Derek got home he literally started running around the house like a chicken with his head cut off. He was running around the house to make sure everything was tidy and clean for when Stiles came over.

At the moment Derek was reaching to two hour mark just standing in his room trying on different shirts to wear for the dinner tonight. He didn't want to be too formal because it technically wasn't nor was there a need to be in a shirt and tie in his own home. He also didn't want to be too casual because he obviously wanted Stiles to do a double take so that involved dressing up a little bit more. He sighed when he looked back at his closet of clothes currently in a heaping mass on his bed. He knew was completely over thinking this and it really shouldn't matter but it's like he had awakened a beast and it was out of control.

Derek was surprised Laura hadn't yelled at him to calm the fuck down yet. He knew all the running around he was doing was making her antsy and completely driving her nuts. As if her ears were burning she walked into Derek's room only to stop and smirk at Derek from the doorway. He had two dress shirts held up to him in front of the mirror trying to see which one looked better. Neither looked particularly right and he just threw them to the pile on the bed and collapse besides the mountain of clothes.

Laura chuckled lightly making Derek look in her direction just in time to see her roll eyes and she headed over to the pile of clothes beside Derek.

"Here, wear this." She threw a light and dark grey horizontal stripped sweater. She walked over to the closet and hauled an older pair of Derek's jeans, rips in both knees, torn a little at the bottom.

"The sweater looks great on you and it also compliments your eyes. It's dressy enough but not formal or too casual. The jeans just make your butt look nice," She grinned, "We both know that's where you want Stiles to be looking." Derek smiled at her graciously and started to put all the clothes he had thrown around back in the closet and his dresser.

"You really like him don't you?" Laura asked quietly. Derek looked at her as she sat herself on his bed. She was never the type of person to say anything quietly. He nodded, liked the boy a lot more then he should.

"This just seems so different from Kate, you know? I mean, I've never seen you like this before." She said smiling slightly.

"You're practically glowing. If a man could be pregnant I would say that's what this was but it's not. I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much since we've been kids. When mom and dad used to take us on their crazy road trips." Derek remembered them. His mother and father at least once a month used to take Laura and Derek out of school and just drive anywhere. Pick a direction and just see where they ended up. Derek had never felt happier, more carefree, until now. Stiles had washed over him and he was beginning to feel things—happiness he never thought he would feel so strongly again.

"There is just something about him. Just drives me crazy and makes me want him at the same time. I can't begin to explain it, it's like he has this power over me, like I'm on the road again, with them. I haven't felt this happy in a long time and it's all because this spazz of a man getting under my skin and no going anywhere." Laura smiled, softness in her eyes that made Derek return her look. She got off the bed and pulled him into tight embrace.

"You got it bad, don't you?" Derek was nodding into her shoulder, hugging her even tighter.

Derek came down over the stairs a few minutes before Stiles was supposed to arrive. He received a text from him saying that he was close. He walked over the front window watching the rain beat down on the ground. He has forgotten the weather was supposed to be really bad tonight when he asked Stiles to come over yesterday. He hoped he didn't have much trouble getting here, knowing how bad the road could be sometimes.

Derek started to set the table while he waited. Laura was in the kitchen finishing supper. It was his favorite, Irish stew. His parents had gotten the recipe when they went to Ireland for their honey moon. Derek was thankful that Laura knew how to make it just as good as his mom had.

Derek heard a knock on their door and it was almost embarrassing how fast he ran to the door. Stiles was standing there water dropping from his hair onto his face just grinning at him. Derek felt his heart skip a beat.

"Come on in before you get soaked!" Derek said moving aside to let Stile though. Derek being the gentleman he was offered to take Stiles' coat. Removing his jacket Derek was met with a bright red hoodie he has never seen before, with a whiff of whatever cologne Stiles decided to put on. Derek couldn't help but take a moment to take Stiles in. How the red just looked so good on Stiles and the smell coming from him was intoxicating it. Derek wanted to fist the material of his sweater and throw him against the wall and stick his face in the crook of Stiles' neck and just get drunk off the smell of the boy.

Stiles broke Derek from his daze but putting box in his vision.

"I got a chocolate pie" Stiles shook the box slightly, "I wasn't sure what kind of dessert you guys liked so I went with chocolate because who doesn't like chocolate. Plus, it's horrible for you, so I know you'll die for it. Not pun intended of course." Derek rolled his eyes, ushering Stiles into the living room to wait till Laura was finished with supper.

"Look who finally made it?" Laura came in to the living room just behind Derek peaking over his shoulder to see what Stiles was carrying. She moved over to him, taking box out of his hands, flipping up the cover.

"Chocolate pie huh? Trying to win me over? Going to be harder than that," She smirked at him, "It's a start." She turned around and walked away and Derek shook his head. She called out to them telling them that supper was ready.

"Well, let's go." Stiles walked up to Derek motioning him to lead the way

"Before she sucks out my soul," Stiles muttered under his breath and Derek could help but chuckle leading Stiles into the dining area.

Once everyone was seated and bowls full, Stiles started to fidget which is something Derek associated with Stiles being nervous or happy or upset. He hadn't quite figured the difference between the fidgets but he was sure he would know in time.

"You guys have a really nice house here." Stiles said looking around. It wasn't too bad. The house they lived in before the fire was pretty secluded, on the outskirts of town. It was basically like a mansion more or less. It was way too large for just a family of four but Derek was sure that his parents had fell in love with land surrounding the house, just forest for miles and miles.

"It's cozy, just a good size for the both of us." Derek smiled and Laura rolled her eyes.

"That's until he brings home his parade of men, then I can't get far enough away." Derek nearly choked on his food.

"Seriously Laura," Derek looked over at Stiles, an unreadable emotion flickering over his face.

"She is kidding; I don't sleep around, unlike her on the other hand." Derek watched Stiles reaction. He didn't want Stiles to think he was a slut or anything but also worried that he never officially mentioned to Stiles that he did like men, as well as women.

"Derek, that was one time—"

"Yeah and my ears permanently scarred my brain that night." Stiles chuckled to himself.

"You're a screamer then?" Stiles asked Laura slyly and Derek's eyes nearly bulge out of his head. He never thought Stiles had the balls.

"Like a banshee." Derek choked again, understatement.

"What about you Stiles? You a screamer? Have any men push your boy button the right way?" Derek saw Stiles' eyes flicker over his way, giving him a subtle wink.

"Well, I don't normally kiss and tell but when it's the right way, does it ever make me sing." Laura grinned at Stiles and Derek could already tell this was going to end badly, for him.

"That's right, if it was quiet, it's not worth having that's what I say." Derek actually wanted to get sick; the flashbacks of hearing Laura made him want to stabbed himself in the face.

He was extremely happy that he could tell that Stiles still had his virginity because if he didn't know any better he would have be extremely jealous, just having to think about someone else touching Stiles made him beyond crazy.

"What about you Derek? Have any men push your boy button the right way?" Laura stopped mid-chew probably in shock because there was no way Stiles was dragging him into this.

"I figured you for a woman only kind of man." Stiles had a glint in his eyes. Derek knew exactly what Stiles was doing. It was probably his special revenge for Derek not telling him he that he liked men himself. Not that he really felt like he needed to its not like he hasn't been transparent.

"As much as I enjoy them, no man has pushed my boy button." Derek could honestly see himself letting Stiles push his boy button. This side of Stiles was turning him on the more he saw it.

"So, Stiles when did you realized you were gay? You are gay right? I was just making an assumption earlier." Stiles took another spoonful.

"As long as I could remember honestly, I had a phase where I tried to like girls but that never really worked out."

"How so?" Laura asked and Stiles just shrugged.

"I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself I liked this girl in my class, Lydia Martin." Stiles looked over towards Derek and chuckled at his disgruntled face.

Lydia Martin. Stiles could do better, much better.

"You know Lydia, Derek?" Derek nodded at his sister.

"She is in the same class that I teach Stiles. I'm relieved you realized she wasn't the one for you. She seems like the complete opposite of your type."

"And you know my type?" Derek froze; Stiles had really put him on the spot, again. It took all Derek willpower not to say  _me._

"Well no, not really but I do know you well enough now that you wouldn't go after her even if you were straight. She blatantly doesn't treat you right at all and you have more respect for yourself then that." Stiles smiled at that, wide and bright.

"So what exactly is your type Stiles?" Stiles smile faltered a little looking over at Laura and just shrugged.

"Seriously. You don't have a particular type?" She paused, grinning.

"What about Derek? Would he be your type?" Derek immediately looked over at Stiles and watched him turn bright pink. He was playing with his hands nervously and Derek heart was literally pounding in his chest. Stiles lifted his gaze from his hands and looked Derek directly in the eyes.

"Yes, he is exactly my type."

\--

The rest of the dinner ended up pretty uneventful. Laura and Stiles bantered back and forth innocently. Derek was pretty sure that Laura loved Stiles. He kept up with her and never backed down and ultimately she respects that, respects someone that could hold their ground. Derek just wished he had that attitude when it came to his friends. Stiles just needed someone to make him really see the potential he had in himself, make him see how strong he really was, Derek really wanted to be that person.

"Thank you for having me over Laura, I actually enjoyed myself a lot more than I thought." Stiles said grabbing his jacket from Derek and putting it on.

"You're welcome here any time, especially if you bring more of that pie." Stiles smiled at Laura and she pulled him into a hug which shocked Derek because that was so unlike Laura until he saw her whisper something in Stiles' ear. He nodded dumbly and she gave him a smile.

"Come on Stiles, it doesn't seem to be getting better out, you got to get home safe." Stiles licked his tongue out at Derek and walked pasted Derek to the door.

Derek followed him down to the car and made sure he got in save. It was still raining out and Derek just stood that watching Stiles roll down his window.

"Dude you getting soaking wet." Stiles gaped at him and all Derek could do was smile looking up at the sky.

"It's fine, I love the rain." There was a brief silence that made Derek come down from the heavens to see Stiles just staring at him, eyes intense, an emotion Derek couldn't quite place.

"Thanks for having me over, I really enjoyed tonight." Derek had honestly enjoyed the night too; especially since he found out he was Stiles' type. Ever since then he could only think about one thing.

"I'm glad you came." Derek said brightly and Stiles just smiled in return.

"I should probably get going and you should get in before you catch a cold or something." Derek nodded and Stiles turned his head to put his key in the ignition of his jeep.

Derek leaned forward and cupped the side of Stiles' face turning the younger man to face him.

"Derek, what ar—"Derek leaned forward silencing Stiles by placing his lips over the younger mans. Stiles' lips were as soft as he imagined them. He let his tongue slip out from his mouth and lap the bottom of Stiles lip, earning a groan from the younger boy. Derek's heart was pounding in his chest and his whole body felt on fire, goosebumps breaking out all over him. He pulled back after what was literally seconds but felt so much longer than that.

"You're my type too." Derek smiled, letting his hand slide against Stiles cheek as he stepped away from the car.

"Goodnight Stiles." Derek said and walked back into his house, stomach in knots, skin completely flushed and his heart pounding in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about that? Did you love it or hate? Tell me! :)


	5. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys here is a new chapter! This one is a little more intense than the others so I hope you all love it just the same. There is no outwardly offensive things that isn't already tagged--I think. A bit of language other than that. This chapter sets up conflict for future chapters and I think that's all I have to say. I always have things I want to mention but I always forget them when it comes to actually writing this. 
> 
> Please give a very, very, very VERY big thank you to Sleepystrawberries for editing this chapter for me. She is awesome! :)

Chapter 5: Friendship

_Stiles_

_“You better treat him right, like he deserves.”_

Stiles never understood what Laura had meant when she pulled Stiles into that embrace, which had floored him to begin with; he never expected that from Laura. He didn’t quite understand until he was sitting in his jeep and Derek’s lips were on his.

Stiles’ world had come to a complete and utter stop.

There was nothing going through his head, not a single thought.

Just the feeling of Derek’s soft lips against his.

Before Stiles could even respond Derek opened his mouth slightly, tongue sliding out, gently lapping against Stiles’ bottom lip. Stiles felt every inch of himself respond in that moment; shuddering through his entire being he let out a moan that could only be called needy.

It was over in a matter of seconds and when Derek pulled back, Stiles opened his eyes only to meet Derek’s heated gaze.

“You’re my type too.”  Derek’s voice was so husky that Stiles felt it creep up his spine. Stiles’ face felt like it was on fire as Derek let his hand slide away from him.

“Goodnight Stiles.” Then Derek was gone, walking back into his house and Stiles just sat there in complete shock, clutching his steering wheel.

He’d gotten home somehow; bringing true meaning to autopilot because he didn’t even remember pulling out of Derek’s driveway. He immediately went up in his room, shedding all his clothing and just laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

What had just happened?

Derek kissed him.

Mr. Hale, his writing teacher had cupped his face, turning it towards him, leaned forward and kissed Stiles.

Derek kissed Stiles.

What does that mean?

How was this even possible right now? Stiles would have believed he was dreaming but it all felt way too real to be a dream.

Does Derek like him?

Stiles knew he wasn’t exactly good at not being transparent and he knew Derek wasn’t stupid. He had to have noticed the way Stiles had stared—actually leered at him constantly but Derek didn’t—he wasn’t discouraging be any means. Stiles had assumed that the way Derek acted was some way to make Stiles more comfortable around him, something he did with other students too. Not to the same extent but he went out of his way to make them feel comfortable around him. It had never crossed Stiles’ mind that the way Derek acted towards him meant that Derek had feelings for him or even be interested in him anyway.

Why would he ever do that? Derek was Stiles’ teacher! Granted Stiles was eighteen and legal but that still meant that Derek could lose his job. Stiles was confused, what was Derek going to gain? What if he made the wrong move? He could lose he job.

What was Stiles going to do? If he pursued this then his life would get a lot more stressful because if this were to turn into a relationship then it would have to be secret.

Stiles sucked at secrets.

He needed to talk to Derek, he didn’t understand what that kiss meant exactly, only that he was Derek’s type? Was that Derek’s own way of saying thank you for Derek being Stiles’ type, Stiles’ only type? Maybe he was just flattered?

The fact that Derek likes guys and never told Stiles kind of pissed him off. He was gay, bisexual? Why hadn’t he told Stiles? Especially when Stiles had told Derek that he was gay. It’s not like he needed too but I would have been nice to know that Derek literally understood what Stiles was going through.

Stiles sighed and grabbed his mother’s book off the bedside table and hugged it to his chest. She’d know what to say to make Stiles feel better. Not that he could really tell her that his teacher just kissed him but she’d give him advice on how to approach a guy that had just kissed him. She’d probably say exactly what Stiles knew he needed to do: talk to Derek. It would probably be a lot more comforting coming from her then it was coming from Stiles own head.

Stiles was now worried about one thing: the answer. What if it’s an answer he doesn’t like? Right now he honestly doesn’t know what kind of answer that could be because it’s all complicated. What freaks Stiles our more is that if it is an answer he does like, what does that mean?

It pretty much means that Stiles is screwed.

* * *

Stiles hadn’t texted Derek at all since the kiss the night before and he could tell Derek was worried. He had walked into his writing class and his eyes immediately connected with Derek’s, he had a pair of dark circles around his eyes much like the ones Stiles was sporting due to his lack of sleep. He had spent most of the night going over that five second kiss over and over again, until he finally passed out and his alarm had woken him up three hours later.

What had Stiles learned after a full night of pondering? He liked that kiss a lot more than he should have and maybe thought about doing it again, only about a couple of hundred times. He also thought that he needed to show some more self preservation, which is something he rarely did. Even if he wanted to kiss Derek again, did Derek? If Derek wanted to kiss him would it be the smart thing for Stiles to do? Putting aside the fact that Derek is his teacher (which is enough for both of them to realize this was a horrible idea). Derek is older than Stiles, at least five years, which meant he is a lot more experienced, mature, is on the way with his career and completely out of Stiles’ league. Why would he want to be stuck with a kid who is unsure of himself, unsure of his future and, well, not even close to the hotness scale Derek is on?

Stiles took his seat letting himself look at Derek, trying to ignore the guilt he felt when he saw the kicked puppy look on his teachers face. He was going through some papers on his desk; shoulders slumped over, sad look in his eyes. Stiles looked away and rested his head in his arms on the desk, wondering if Derek was up all night thinking about the kiss too. Did he regret it? Was he worried about what Stiles would do? Stiles never really thought about that. Derek made a pretty job-ending move last night. If Stile had any sense he would report Derek, because kissing him was a complete breech of conduct, --but Stiles could never do that. Derek was good at his job, he was a good teacher and he actually cared. Stiles didn’t have the heart to take that away from him or anyone else.

Maybe Derek figured he could trust Stiles? It would make a lot more sense than just kissing some random student. Maybe he knew Stiles wouldn’t say anything or do anything to hurt Derek or his career? Maybe he knew that Stiles had feelings for him?

Stiles took out his phone and hauled up Derek’s number, sending him a text.

 _You look as bad as I do; maybe I need to kiss you better? ;)_ Stiles grinned slightly as it sent and smiled widely when Derek reached for his phone and read it. The smile that stretched across his face made Stiles’ stomach flutter. The feeling that spread through his body was almost surreal, (the knowledge) that he could do that to Derek. A simple text from him could make the grown man smile.

 **Maybe you need too.** Stiles smiled and then started to mentally kick himself. He was supposed to have some self-preservation, not tell Derek he wanted to kiss him, even though that’s all he really wanted to do.

The rest of the class droned on once Derek decided that it was time to start. He spent most of the time talking about the children’s story that was due a lot sooner than Stiles realized. Stiles realized he was just a little behind when it came to his story. There had been an awful lot on his mind lately, but he realized he needed to make the Sourwolf less mean through the Red Hoodied Boy. Stiles was _totally_ not inspired by the red hoodie he fell in love with when he went to look for something nice to wear to Derek’s last night, or so he told himself.

When the class was over Stiles remained in his seat as everyone filtered out for lunch. Lydia asked him if he was coming but Stiles let her know that he had a session with Mr. Hale (almost calling him Derek). She pressed further, telling him that he was spending a lot of time doing extra credit. Stiles said that it was because they were leaving tomorrow at lunch to go camping for the weekend, which seemed to appease her but Stiles made a note to be more careful around Lydia. That was Scott’s plan for the weekend; they were all going to drive up to the lake to go camping before it got too cold. Stiles was dying to see how Lydia would make out without a cosmetics-center (make-up bag) in the morning, the bitch was going to become feral this weekend for sure.

Once everyone left and it was just Derek and Stiles, he got up and closed the door before pulling a seat to the front of Derek’s desk. He sat and just looked at Derek. He was leaned back in his chair staring intently at Stiles, he was still worried and nervous by the way he was fidgeting. Stiles kind of found it cute seeing Derek so dishevelled, all laid out in front of him.

“You kissed me.” Stiles broke the silence. Derek looked uncomfortable as he shifted in his chair, now blatantly nervous by the way he was playing with the pen in his hand. Stiles felt a little guilty. He knew he had a good amount to do with Derek’s state of mind right now; not talking to him until just now was probably the cause.

“Stiles, I don’t think this is the tim—,” but Stiles cut him off.

“It is the time, you kissed me,” he stated a little more sternly this time, letting Derek know that this conversation was happening. A part of Stiles needed to hear Derek say it, admit that it did happen so he knew hadn’t actually dreamt it.

“Yes, I kissed you.”Derek was looking directly into Stiles’ eyes, a confliction of emotion going through them. Was Derek ashamed? Ashamed that it was Stiles he kissed or did he regret that it ever happened?

“Why?” It was literally the question that Stiles needed an answer to right now, if not his head was probably going to explode all over the walls. He needed to know what the kiss meant.

If the kiss meant that Derek liked him.

Derek sighed, running his hands down over his face before giving Stiles a worried like. Stiles knew it, the kiss was a mistake.

“I like you.”

“What?” Stiles stared in utter disbelief, he had been sure Derek thought it all was a mistake.

“I like you.” The older man repeated, a shy smile forming on his lips.

“But…WHY?”  Derek just shrugged and that infuriated Stiles a little.

“I don’t know, it just happened. You can’t help who you like.” Stiles understood that; it explained how Jackson and Lydia liked each other. He could never in his right mind explain what they saw in each other. He understood it personally as well, since he liked Derek so much that he made all those attempts to avoid him and look how well that worked out.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice… that I liked you.” Derek added to the silence.

“I don’t know, I thought you did this with all your students.” This made Derek laugh. Stiles didn’t know what was so funny. It was true wasn’t it? Derek was a nice guy; he did these meetings with other students.

“You think I get this familiar with my students?” Stiles eyes widened at what Derek had just implied.

“I didn’t mean it like that; I meant the sessions, the extra attention.”  Derek just smiled at him, reaching over and grabbed his hand.

“I know Stiles. Don’t ever think that I get so personal with my other students. You’re the only one I’ve ever given my number too, the only one that I’ve flirted shamelessly with back and forth, my sister even invited you over for dinner just so I could see you outside the classroom.” Derek smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently. Stiles was surprised at how good his hand in Derek’s felt.

“You planned for me to come over?” Stiles asked and Derek shook his head.

“No, I told my sister about this guy I sort of had a crush on and she ended up finding out it was you and when she met you in the parking lot, she took matters into her own hands. I went a long with it because she was right, I suspected you had a crush on me and I just wanted to see you in a more informal place.” That made a lot of sense to Stiles, he had found it weird that Laura had invited him over. Sure he had been nice, but people were nice all the time and there was never a dinner to go with it. The dinner was a great idea even though the premeditation of it was kind of manipulative. He did get to see Derek in his own skin, but even though Stiles and Laura had did all the talking, he also got to see the relaxed and open version of Derek that night, the one that kissed him.

It was Derek that had kissed him that night, not Mr. Hale. Stiles couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

“I guess, I’m a little blind, huh?” Stiles smiled before using his other hand to cover Derek’s, giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing himself from Derek.

“It still doesn’t answer why me? Sure, you like me, but why?” Derek smiled, folding his arms and chuckling to himself.

“You get under my skin.” Stiles raised his eyebrow, how was that a good thing?

“You get under my skin and I like it. At first it irritated me but eventually I found it challenging, to see this young man fight so hard to not be interested when it seemed to be so unlike him. Then I forced you to be interested and what can I say… You won me over with your charm.” Stiles grinned a little. He knew he had charm; it just took the right man to realize it.

“It’s the Stilinski charm, irresistible.”

Derek rolled his eyes and they sat another moment of silence. It wasn’t as awkward as before but it was still filled with questions. Now that they realized they both liked each other, where did they go from here? It seemed pretty logical but there were just so many factors that could easily determine their failure from the start.

“What do we do now?” Derek sighed, looking solemnly at Stiles, who found that worrisome.

“I don’t know.” Derek said honestly. What exactly were they going to do? Start dating? It would be a hard thing to do with the rest of society would condemning them for doing so.

“Do we date? Do we wait?” Derek looked conflicted. He was clearly worried and Stiles knew that it had to do with his job, which was understandable. It wasn’t something you threw away, especially over a teenager.

“God, if only it was this time next year we wouldn’t have to deal with any of this.” Stiles raised his hands motioning around the room. If it was this time next year Stiles could literally jump Derek and not think twice about the consequences.

“I honestly never really thought about this too much, I never really thought it could happen.” Wasn’t that the truth? Stiles was still in a state of disbelief, like he was going to be PUNK’D any moment.

“I want to date you,” Derek said finally, “I want to get to know you more and have you get to know me too.” Stiles, if he was honest with himself, wanted nothing more than that but that would complicate his life beyond words. He really needed to ask himself if Derek was really worth it.

“I’m not stupid enough to think that this will be easy. It’s going to have to be a secret, for a long time, until you’re done school, even afterwards. I realize who your father is and what complications that could cause you.” Derek said; letting Stiles know he understood that this isn’t cut and dry for Stiles. Stiles also understood what this relationship could do to Derek, with his career and his future as a teacher.

“I want to explore this, I really do. I just have a habit of making really rash decisions, taking things on that are too much to handle,” Stiles said, trying to tell Derek what he wanted. What he really wanted was to jump over the desk, screaming yes and attack Derek’s face with his own. He knew he couldn’t do that. He needed some self control and sit on this for a while, really think about what they were going to put themselves through.

“I need some time. To make sure if this is the right thing to do.” Stiles waited for Derek’s reaction, which he got when Derek smiled and nodded, letting Stiles know he was okay and that he should continue.

“I know that this is just as big for you as it is for me. You have a lot to lose if this goes bad and I have a lot to take on, especially with the repercussions, since my dad is the Sheriff.” Stiles paused getting distracted by the look on Derek’s face. He seemed…proud and it was making Stiles tingle. He liked that Derek thought he was doing the right thing for himself but also for Derek as well.

“I want to make sure it’s right for the both of us because we each have reasons to not do this. We need to make sure it’s for the right reasons.” Derek reached across and grabbed Stiles’ hand again, bringing it up to his lips, kissing the back of it softly.

“You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.” Stiles felt a blush creep up on his face.

“You’re lucky I’m respecting your space, even if it’s for the both of us.” Stiles really enjoyed what was implied by this.

He really wanted Derek to disrespect his space.

“Well, even though I need time to think, I can be persuaded.” Derek released Stiles’ hand, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I bet. How easy do think I am? Maybe you should end up persuading me.” Stiles put his fingers to his lips, making it seem like he was actually pondering how easy Derek may be.

“Well your sister said you did bring home an awful lot of men, that seems pretty slutty to me, Mr. Hale. Also, makes you seem easy.” Derek made a tick noise with his tongue, pursing his lips slightly, clearly not liking what Stiles said. It was even more apparent when Stiles felt a pen hit his forehead.

“I’m not easy, Stiles, and I will make you regret those words! Nor do I sleep around; I only do committed relationships.” Stiles mouthed the word ‘abuse’ at Derek throwing his pen back at him but Derek caught it.

Stiles pouted.

“I’m glad you only do committed relationships because I have no intentions of sharing you.” Derek raised an eyebrow.

“Possessive much?” Derek chuckled.

“You have no idea.”

“It’s okay; I’ll be growling at any man that comes near you.” Derek did a fake snarl and Stiles thought it was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen.

“Well, I think we should actually try and attempt some work today before lunch ends.” Stiles nodded running to get his bag which was left in his seat in the back of the classroom.

“How far have you gotten since our last meeting?” Derek said looking up from getting his notepad out; Stiles gave his most charming smile.

“Stiles.”

“Well it’s not my fault you kissed me and left me useless.” Derek shook his head in disbelief.

“Maybe I shouldn’t kiss you anymore then.”

“No Derek, you can’t joke about that.” Derek gave him a mischievous look.

“No Derek, Stiles likes his kisses, I’m serious.”

“Focus, Stiles.”

“Not until you take it back.” Stiles crossed his arms and looked away, acting like a child.

“Fine.” Derek sighed.

“I knew it, it’s not like you could resist Stiles-kisses anyways; it would only be a matter of time before you gave in.” Stiles grinned to himself.

Until the pen hit him in the face again.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by pretty uneventful. Stiles and Derek were back to their normal banter back and forth through texting. Stiles had felt lighter after their talk somehow. Even though he still had a big decision to make, it just felt good that Derek understood and respected that Stiles needed to do that.

Stiles was at the Beacons Hill Cemetery before he even realized where he wanted to go. He parked the Jeep and started to walk towards the tree his mother was buried by.

Reaching the headstone he kneeled in front of it, brushing off the fallen leaves that littered the top of the granite slab.

“Hi Mom,” Stiles smiled and sat down Indian-style on the damp grass in front of the stone.

“I know it has been a while … a couple of weeks since I last visited you, actually. Life has been pretty hectic, school as you know started up and I got a pretty demanding schedule this year.” Stiles sighed trying to think about what had actually happen over the past few weeks, all he could think about was what had happened over the past few days.

“I told Dad, he took it extremely well. But I bet you knew that already. I don’t really know why I was ever afraid to tell him. I guess I was just afraid that he would see me differently, like Scott has. I mean I know it was dumb to think that way. He has put up with me for all these years, the love something like that requires doesn’t go away over something like this. I totally put him through the ringer though when he found that porn on my computer.” Stiles laughed to himself, which was probably one of the single most embarrassing moments of his life.

“I think you would have found it too funny. I could imagine Dad coming to you all pale and sickly looking, shock written all over his face. When he would tell you, I imagine you would go into fits of laughter because as much as I hate to admit it, it was really funny. Maybe when I’m not so mortified I can actually learn to laugh about it. I think Derek would find it funny.” Voices behind him made Stiles pause for a moment, not wanting anyone to overhear his conversation with his mother.

“People tell me that I remind them of you all the time. Dad says it all the time, especially after a few drinks. He’s gotten better, losing you was hard on him, and I don’t think he’ll ever get over it but I know that he’ll move on eventually. He deserves to be happy; he works so hard, I just wish he would take the time to realize this himself. I remember overhearing a conversation that you guys had, I was being myself and eavesdropping on what you guys were talking about. It was towards the end, you know.” Stiles sniffed, feeling his eyes watering.

“I remember you telling him to move on. He was so outraged, at the thought that you would ever say something like that to him. I understand though, I didn’t then but I do now. You didn’t want him to be alone. Dad isn’t old by any means and you didn’t want him be alone, mourning you for the rest of his life. I can’t imagine the strength that took. To tell the man you love that it was okay to love someone else. If it ever does happen for Dad, I don’t think that anyone would ever come close in comparison to you, you were the love of his life and I don’t think that ever changes. I think that’s why he got so upset with you because he couldn’t see past you, he still can’t.” Stiles wiped the tears from his eyes and went back to tearing at the grass in between his legs.

“I wish I could have known you. I know that I did, but I wish I could have known you the way I would have if you were still alive right now. I wish you could teach me the strength that followed you till the very end. I have no idea how you ever did it. I wish I had half as much strength as you had, then maybe I’d be able to confront some things in life head-on and not be afraid of what I’ll lose in the process. I’m in such awe of you, I’ve always been and I think I always will. I just wish you were here so we could do stupid things together. God, I’d even talk about boys with you, I feel like you’d enjoy that. More than I would though.” Stiles started to trace the lettering of his mother’s name on the rock.

“I think I met someone.” Stiles paused for a moment wondering if he should go on.

“He—he makes me happy. He makes me feel like how I always imagined how you and Dad felt together. I don’t think you’d approve of him though, I know Dad won’t, and there is no question in that. He’s older, not too much older but his job makes it difficult for us to be together. I feel like he is worth all the trouble. I know that I’m still young, naïve and probably really stupid when it comes to these things but what if he is? What if I decide that it would be too hard to maintain a relationship? What if I miss out on it? Miss out on what you and Dad had? You know I’m a hopeless romantic and I feel like if it’s worth anything, it’s not something that you stumble upon. It’s not something that is easy. It’s hard, something that you fight for, something that you struggle for. I want to try for this but I’m afraid if it isn’t what I think it is; I could hurt a lot of people. I don’t want people to get hurt because I was selfish. Let myself have something that is so uncertain.” Stiles sighed and fell back on the grass.

“This is where that strength of yours would come in handy.” Stiles felt his lips turn upwards slightly. His mother would approve of Derek, not at first but Derek had a charm of his own. He was too irresistible for his own good.

“You have no idea what your son got himself into.” Stiles smiled to himself slightly, closing his eyes breathing in the fresh air, letting the silence overcome him. Stiles would figure it out, he always did and he would make the right decision.

Even if it required him to take something for himself for once

* * *

The lunch bell the next day found Stiles running towards his locker, Scott right on his tail. He had been waiting for this getaway all week. The night he ran into Laura at the supermarket, Scott had told him they were all planning a camping trip at the lake, a few miles outside the city limits. It was a popular spot but this time of year people were quite scarce.

“Dude, hurry we needed to be on the road five minutes ago!” Scott grabbed his shoulders shaking them gently. Stiles rolled his eyes; Scott was only hindering him from opening his locker right now. All he needed was the grab his bag and jacket. He had brought all his camping gear in his Jeep.

“Okay dude, the lunch bell just rang, we still have a full hour to clear out.” Scott huffed and slammed his back against the lockers, probably giving Stiles the evil eye.

“Whatever dude, you need to hurry up! We need as much daylight as possible.” Scott folded his arms and Stiles glanced over at him. Scott’s eyes widened all of a sudden.

“Dude, I totally forgot to tell you! Allison and I are riding with Jackson and Lydia so you and Danny are going to be buds in the Jeep for the drive up.” Stiles barely contained an eye roll. Of course Scott was ditching him on the drive up, even when he had told Stiles that he and Allison were going with him. He shouldn’t have been too surprised by now; fifth wheel was starting to get really old.

“Cool man,” Stiles grunted out, finally getting his locker open, creating a barrier between him and his ‘best’ friend.

“You‘re not mad? Are you, dude? It’s just the ride up; I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” Stiles stilled for a moment. He really wanted to tell Scott to go fuck himself but he had been practicing self control lately.

“It’s fine,” Stiles said flatly, shrugging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Couples thing, I get it.” Scott sighed.

“No man, its n—” Stiles completely ignored Scott when he saw what was hiding behind his jacket.

Leaning forward Stiles reached into his locker and hauled out a stuffed wolf. It was black with electric blue eyes. Stiles petted the fur; it felt so real, but it probably wasn’t since wolf fur seemed like it would have been really rough, not this soft. It was so soft. Stiles didn’t even control the urge to tweak the ears. Looking back into the locker there was a note with a bar of Stiles’ favourite chocolate attached.

_‘Stiles,_

_You said you needed a courtship, filled with stuffed animals and chocolate. I hope this one suits your weakness just fine. I took the liberty of naming him. I hope you don’t mind Sourwolf. I’ll let him keep you safe, while I’m not around._

_I hope you enjoy the chocolate, not quite sure what kind you like. Hope I lucked out._

_D-’_

Stiles actually felt weak in the knees.

“What are you staring at?” Scott moved into Stiles’ line of view. He saw the stuffed wolf and then looked over at the note, face darkening.

“Hurry up, dude, Danny is waiting for you. See you there.” Scott had taken off before Stiles even realized what happened. It didn’t matter anyways; he was literally floating on cloud 9 at the moment.

Shutting his locker, hugging his newfound toy and jacket, Stiles practically skipped his way to the student parkinglot where he saw Danny leaning against his Jeep, giving him a queer look.

“Scott and everybody else took off already.” Danny said, motioning to the empty space next to the Jeep.

“Not surprised.” Stiles didn’t try to let his irritation with Scott slip away. Danny raised an eyebrow, grabbing his bag. Stiles opened his door and carefully placed his new favorite item on his seat and went to help Danny with his bags.

Once in the car, Stiles took out his phone and texted Derek.

 _You left me speechless. I, Stiles Stilinski am at a loss for words. Thank you. I love it. Sourwolf is my favorite gift that any boy has ever given me._ They were on the road for a few minutes before Derek had messaged Stiles back.

 **You have more boys giving you gifts? That isn’t acceptable. You’re trying to me make jealous. It’s working.** Stiles couldn’t help but smile at this.

“I know that look.” Stiles had almost forgotten that Danny was in the car next to him. They hadn’t spoken much; Danny wasn’t much of a talker, at least to Stiles.

“What look?” Stiles said, shoving his phone back into his pocket, he’d reply to Derek later, when he didn’t have Danny judging his reactions.

“That look!” Danny leaned over and touched the upward curve on Stiles lips with the tip of his finger.

“Only a boy could give you a look like that.” Stiles felt his cheeks redden, trying not to look down at his Sourwolf between him and Danny.

“So spill, who is the boy?” Danny grinned and looked over at Stiles, body turned ready to take in all the details.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Stiles tried to play dumb, but Danny was as smart as Stiles, even smarter, so it wasn’t going to work. Stiles didn’t even know why he bothered trying.

“Oh please, you’re barely with us at the lunch table anymore. You can’t tell me that Mr. Hale has you doing extra credit, every lunch?” If Danny only knew.

“There is a boy and everyone has noticed. Especially, when you said you had plans that none of us knew about the other day. Spill, my lips are sealed. I don’t get to talk gay things very much, especially with another guy, appease me please!” Stiles sighed. It wouldn’t hurt; he just had to leave out as many details as possible.

“Okay, there is a guy. He is incredibly sexy; we aren’t together, just playing the field to see where things go.” Stiles glanced over at Danny and he was grinning.

“Go you, man!” He reached over and gave Stiles a pat on the shoulder, and Stiles felt some pride bubble up in his chest. It did seem pretty crazy that Stiles could ever bag a guy like Derek.

“I guess that’s who the wolf is from?” Danny said picking up Stiles’ Sourwolf.

“Man, this is pretty sick, expensive too. You can tell just by how soft the fur is. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was actual animal fur.” Danny was petting Sourwolf and it never occurred to Stiles how expensive the gift might have been. Derek had better not spent a lot of money on him.

“Yeah, he is trying to woo me.” Stiles smirked slightly. It was totally working.

“Is it working? He got my vote.” Stiles nodded.

“I think he already had me. I’m just playing a little hard to get.” Danny laughed at this.

“Dude, that is sick. Got to make him work for you huh? I get that! I should have kept my ex circling a little longer, maybe he wouldn’t have strayed too fast.” Stiles frowned at that slightly. Danny’s ex-boyfriend had cheated on him not to long ago; he had taken it pretty hard. Lydia had to talk Jackson down from almost killing the guy.

“Nah, you don’t want anyone like that in your life. You are a great guy, Danny, you deserved so much better than him. Me and this guy, he knows I want him. I mean he really knows but I’m just playing it safe because I want to make sure it’s the right thing. For me and for him.” Stiles kept his eyes on the road, letting himself to continue.

“I have a habit of just doing things without thinking about them, but this, this is something I don’t want to ruin by jumping head-on into it and ending up over my head.” Danny hummed in agreement.

“Playing devil’s advocate here: You can’t always over think things like this. You kind of have to just go with the flow. I totally get wanting to be sure it’s the right thing, but you can’t put fifty percent in and expect everything, it has to be a hundred percent of yourself. It leaves you open and exposed but it’s worth it. No relationship is a cake walk. If it was, we’d all be in one.” Stiles knew Danny was right, but he didn’t really get the whole situation, not like Stiles could tell him. There was more at stake than just Stiles’ emotions.

“People think I made a mistake by letting Kyle in. I never, I got hurt, badly, but I learned something from it. You can’t expect anyone to give you themselves when you can’t return it. I know when I eventually find another man, I’ll have reservations about opening myself up but I would never start anything if I couldn’t be with that person emotionally, why put them through that.” That gave Stiles something to think about. He was entertaining the idea of Derek, he seriously was, it almost felt like they were dating because Stiles couldn’t help responding to him and want him.

To really get a perspective Stiles knew he should distance himself and then make the decision, but he couldn’t. What did that say about him? It was like Stiles had already made the decision before he even knew he had to make one. He couldn’t walk into this relationship thinking it could fail and what kind of repercussions might come. Then it would be destined to fail because he would always try to do the right thing to avoid situations that might need to happen for them to grow together. Derek had barely hesitated when he said he wanted to date Stiles. He had said it himself, that he barely thought about it, but he knew he wanted Stiles enough to know the consequences and still not care about them.

Maybe Stiles needed to stop thinking about what could happen to him in the future and how it could affect the people around him because ultimately the two people most affected where him and Derek. Why should he let other people and what they might think, what they might feel ruin one of the best things that could happen to Stiles?

“This guy, whoever he is? Giving you that toy is him trying to reassure you, letting you know it is okay to give him a chance. It’s a simple gesture but a whole lot of meaning behind it. Just be careful Stiles, being a guy who put himself in a hundred percent to not have the other guy do the same, it’s an uncertainty that will eat at the relationship. Just be sure that you can give him yourself and all of it before you say yes.”  Stiles looked over at Danny, reached over and grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently before letting it go. Normally this would have been something that seemed a little too intimate but Stiles didn’t care.

“Thank you.” Stiles said evenly, smiling at Danny and Stiles received a smile in return.

“Anything for a friend.” Stiles never honestly considered Danny that close of a friend; they had the same circle of friends but never really interacted with each other unless the others were there. Maybe this is a friendship that Stiles would like to see grow.

“Can I ask you something?” Stiles nodded, changing lanes on the road to bypass a slow driver.

“Is this relationship with this guy the reason why Scott was so pissed when he left school earlier? Did he see the gift?” Stiles nodded again.

“Yeah, he saw the wolf and then the note. He left me and kind of stalked off telling me to hurry up. I really don’t know what his problem is lately, but it is really started to wear down on me.” Danny hummed in agreement.

“He’s been different since you came out to him hasn’t he?” More than different, he seems downright avoidant.

“Yeah, I mean, it has been weird dealing with sharing your best friend. Before Allison, it was us against everyone and then they got together and I felt like I lost a friend. I know it’s not like that and I got used to it, understood it and things got better. Then I came out to him and it felt like he cut himself off from me completely. We talk but it’s like we don’t. When the topic of me being gay comes up, he clams up and tries to change the subject or avoids it all together.” Danny sighed. Stiles had a feeling that Danny noticed all this too.

“Did you try talking to him about it?” Stiles shook his head.

“I’m not sure how to bring it up to him. I barely see him these days, the only time I really see him is when we have group outings like this. I feel like I’m just being dragged around by Scott because he feels some loyalty to me, we’ve been friends for so long.” Stiles knew he was going to confront Scott, because he was going to explode at him soon if he never got this settled.

“I never thought Scott as homophobic, he always seem completely fine around me or any other gay person he’s met.” Danny said confused.

“With the exception of his best friend,” Stiles spite out a little too harshly.

“I would definitely talk him as soon as I could. I don’t know any other advice to give you. When I told Jackson I was gay he was completely okay with it. If anything it brought us closer together as friends.” Stiles sighed; he honestly didn’t even think this conversation should be necessary. Who he decides to crawl into bed and sleep with at the end of the day shouldn’t affect Scott in any way.

“I’m going to have to do that, sooner rather than later; got to pry him from Allison first.” Danny chuckled.

“Good luck with that.”

* * *

Stiles had managed to catch up with Jackson on the highway, right before the turn off for the lake. Once they had found a good place to set up camp they broke off into pairs and began pitching their tents. Stiles was starting to get the feeling that him and Danny were getting set up. They drove in together and now they had to sleep in the same tent. Stiles hoped that they didn’t think if they shoved two gays in a tent together something magical was bound to happen. It was obvious that Danny was attractive, but Stiles wasn’t attracted to him. Stiles apparently like his men a lot older. It’s not like Danny wouldn’t be a good choice, he would probably be the best kind of boyfriend, but Stiles highly doubted that he was Danny’s type, at all. Stiles was probably too much for Danny to handle, which was okay because dating Danny would mean spending a lot more time with Jackson and that just wasn’t an option.

Night had fallen a lot faster than Stiles had expected. Once all the tents had been set up and all the sleeping gear was ready to go, they decided to give the lake a try. It was almost late fall but the days were overall still warm. Not quite warm enough for swimming but it didn’t stop them from running into the freezing water. Stiles found that they would always couple off at certain points throughout the day. It hadn’t bothered Stiles as much as he thought it would. He didn’t want to be around Jackson and Lydia. Scott wasn’t speaking or looking at him, which at the moment was completely fine with Stiles because the longer Scott got on with his bullshit the angrier Stiles got. If Scott would have even tried to have a conversation with him now Stiles couldn’t have been held responsible for what he would have done.

They were all roasting weenies for their supper. Stiles was currently on his fifth because he was a bottomless pit when it came to anything cooked by open fire. With how couple-like the weekend was ending up being, Stiles found himself wanting to be around Derek. He hadn’t seen him at all earlier that day, the only time he had seen him was their talk the day before. Stiles had sadly lost his signal at the lake so no way of communicating with him and felt himself going through Derek withdrawals.

It gave him time to get to know Danny a little better. Stiles was surprised how little he knew about Danny with all the time they had spend together. He was also surprised at how much he found himself wanting to be Danny’s friend, to branch away from Scott and meet other people. Stiles always found that difficult. People never really found common ground with Stiles, but now that Stiles had opened up to Danny and vice versa they were finding a lot more to talk about than Stiles ever imagined. He told Stiles his coming out story to his family, how they hadn’t exactly accepted him. They kicked him out for a while, he moved in with Jackson and his family in that time. Stiles guessed that’s where their friendship really grew. After things had settled down and they got ‘comfortable’ with their son being gay Danny had moved back, but things have never been the same. Danny said, he still felt the awkwardness between him and his parents. Danny felt like that was never going to go away because he knew his parents didn’t accept his life ‘choices’. They just tolerated them to have their son in their lives; it was more about them then Danny.

Stiles felt guilty when he had told how accepting his father was of Stiles’ sexuality, how they embarrassingly cried together. Danny only smiled brightly and told him how happy he was for Stiles, which had made Stiles grin back. He decided to tell Danny how his dad had actually found out and he never saw anyone laugh so hard in his life. Stiles was of course red as a tomato and utterly embarrassed. Danny had asked what his father had found and when Stiles told him about the bareback sex, Danny raised an all knowing eyebrow.

“That stuff turns you on?” Stiles went a few shades darker.

“Yeah, kind of.” Stiles muttered. He knew it wasn’t safe and probably stupid. Stiles didn’t really plan on having sex with someone he didn’t trust. He never thought sleeping around was something appealing, to him at least.

“Why?” Danny smirked at how flustered Stiles was getting.

“I just find it really hot. Not that I’ve ever had sex to really know, but the thought of getting fucked raw or fucking raw is just an incredible turn on.” Stiles was sure he was never going to not be red anymore.

“The idea of having sex, coming inside them, claiming them or have them claim you. Seems so intense that it’s something I would be more than willing to try.”

Danny cleared his throat.

“Okay, topic change.”

 Stiles immediately felt dread flow through him. He totally just ruined his friendship with Danny, he knew he shouldn’t have over shared!

“Danny, I’m sorry if I said too much and made you uncomfortable.” Stiles blurted out and Danny only laughed.

“No, I need a topic change because you’re starting to turn me on.” Stiles gaped at him wide eyed.

“You’re not the only one who can be a little possessive and find the thought of claiming your significant other hot.” Stiles smirked and Danny sent a wink his way.

“You guys seem to be getting cozy over there, whispering back and forth.” Lydia broke their conversation. They weren’t exactly whispering but Stiles was glad they were all too busy making out to hear what they had been talking about it.

“Is there a spark happening over there?” Lydia teased and Danny rolled his eyes. Stiles went to tell Lydia to mind her own business, but Scott beat him too it.

“I doubt it.” Stiles was pretty sure Scott literally spit the words on the ground beside him.

“What do you mean Scott? Know something we don’t?” Stiles looked over at Scott and he was glaring over at him. Stiles could see Allison pawing at his chest as if to tell him to stop.

“I don’t know? Is there something you should tell us, Stiles? What about the note and gift in your locker today? What guy gave you those?” Lydia gasped and squealed, looking over at Stiles demanding to tell her all the details.

“What the _fuck_ is you problem, Scott?” Things got quiet immediately and all that could be heard was the fire crackling.

“What?” Scott said standing up, ignoring Allison protests.

“Did I stutter?” Stiles said and stood up as well, heading over to Scott.

“No, I didn’t stutter, but you’re being an asshole. You haven’t looked or spoken to me since we got up here.” Stiles continued before Scott could answer, matching his glare.

“You don’t know what exactly you saw in that locker, but even if you did, you have no right to make assumptions about my life, sharing details of it without talking to me.” They were up in each other’s faces now. Stiles knew Scott’s temper was going to get the best of him, eyes dangerous, nostrils flared.

“Didn’t think it was a big deal, new you, figured you wouldn’t care about who knows what about you. You don’t seem to mind flaunting it.” Stiles gave Scott a confused look.

“What are yo—”

“You know what exactly what I’m talking about Stiles!” Scott cut him off.

“Ever since you became this new you, you’ve changed, you’re not the same person and I’m getting sick of it.” Stiles couldn’t believe what he was actually hearing.

“Where have you been Scott? Tell me. Cause it hasn’t been with me. If it hasn’t been with Allison then I don’t see you, it’s like I don’t exist.” Stiles felt bad for Allison because he knew he was hurting her feelings. He knew he was making it sound like Allison was taking Scott away from him and he knew that wasn’t Allison’s fault.

“What about this guy, Stiles? Why have you been hiding him from us?” Stiles was getting so infuriated with Scott right now, he was visibly shaking.

“I’m not hiding anyone Scott! I don’t tell you anything, because since I told you I’m gay you’ve been acting like I’m the plague and don’t even try to deny it.” Scott started to shake his head but Stiles never gave him the chance to say anything.

“Do you know how hard it is to try and accept yourself when you best friend, your only friend up until now, doesn’t want anything to do with you? No, you don’t know, because I would never do that to you. When you and Allison got together and you ditched almost all of our plans to see her, I never said a thing. I saw you were happy and I didn’t want to rob you of that, but you left me behind Scott.” Stiles voice was starting to break, he really didn’t want give Scott or any of them the satisfaction.

“I told you I was gay and you could barely look at me. I told you I was gay and you changed the subject!” Stiles felt tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Ever since then, Scott, we don’t talk. The only times I see you is when you are with Allison and even then I’m ignored. If anything about me being gay is mentioned you ignore it, you let them poke fun at me, Scott.” Stiles referenced Lydia and Jackson who were watching all this unfold.

“You let them laugh at my expense when you know how much I beat myself up over this! You don’t care because it has nothing to do with you or your precious Allison!” Stiles spit out at Scott. Scott grabbed Stiles by the collar of his shirt.

“Don’t you talk about Allison.” Scott growls.

“Fuck you, Scott!” Stiles pushed Scott off him.

“Fuck you, Stiles; you think I asked to have you turn gay on me! Fuck you!” Stiles stopped immediately and stepped back from Scott.

“Then you don’t have to worry about that from now on.” Stiles turned on his heels and immediately ran towards his things in the tent. Grabbing everything he turned to leave, running right into Danny’s solid body.

“Shit, Danny, I’m sorry, I hate to leave you here, but I can’t be here anymore.” Danny nodded pulling Stiles into a hug, something that Stiles didn’t know he ever wanted but relaxed against Danny’s chest.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll get a ride with them when they go back.” Stiles nodded against his chest. Stiles sighed and broke the embrace, grabbing his stuff as he raced to his Jeep. He needed to get away from Scott as fast as possible.

* * *

Stiles couldn’t believe Scott had actually said those things to him, he was in some sort of shock because the guy who had always been there for him, the guy who held him when his mother died as he cried for hours, just told him he didn’t want Stiles because he was gay. He couldn’t believe that that just happened.

That their friendship just ended.

It was different when Stiles was pissed because Scott was an idiot, all it would have taken was an apology followed by a lot of groveling. This was a whole other creature. For Scott to tell Stiles that he didn’t want a gay friend or didn’t want him to be gay, what could Stiles honestly do? He wasn’t moving backwards for Scott, he was tired of it. Tired of denying himself his happiness because of what others felt. No matter what he felt for Scott, he wasn’t going to deny himself for anyone.

He arrived at his destination before he even knew where he was headed. He parked a few houses down from Derek’s as he strolled up toward the front door. It was just after midnight so he had hoped that Derek hadn’t gone to bed yet.

Knocking on the door he stood still waiting to hear if anyone had stirred. Derek was all Stiles could think about now. He thought he should go home, he knew his father was off tonight and even with all that, Stiles knew that he wanted Derek. Derek was the only one that could make this feel better.

If anyone saw his Jeep they would definitely tell the Sheriff that he was in town, his father knew he was gone camping for the weekend but Stiles couldn’t find it in him to care, not right now. Hearing the porch door open on the inside, Stiles’ heart pounded in his ears. He never told Derek he was coming. Stiles hoped that Derek didn’t mind him showing up on his doorstep because he really didn’t want to go anywhere else. Derek opened the door with a sleepy look in his eyes

“Stiles.” Stiles didn’t even say anything he just launched himself forward into Derek, his face against Derek’s chest sobbing.

Stiles let everything out, the months of frustration, of anger, of hurt and the pain. The loss of whatever friendship he had left with his best friend.

He felt Derek’s hand immediately wrap around him, holding him close.

“Shhh, its okay, come on, it okay, let’s go inside.” Stiles lifted himself off Derek’s chest and let himself be led into the house.

He didn’t know where he was going only that they ended up in a bed, which he assumed was Derek’s. He laid his head on Derek’s lap, fresh tears still rolling down his face, Derek’s hand rubbing his back while the other ran through his close cropped hair.

That’s how Stiles fell asleep, in the lap of the man he could see himself loving, so much that it’ll probably consume him and Stiles couldn’t find anything in himself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Leave me a comment and tell me what you think! :)


	6. Aura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> Here is a treat to start off the year with.
> 
> So this chapter was initially supposed to be longer. With lots of fluff and Sterek interactions but I decided that it was best to separate them. All in all the chapter is okay, not one of my favorites but yeah. Just fills in Derek's thoughts and the aftermath of what happened to Stiles. Then sets it up for the next chapter, which everyone will love.
> 
> Big thanks to Sleepystrawberries for editing this chapter! 
> 
> Enjoy everyone! :)

Chapter 6: Aura

_Derek_

Derek had decided to accompany Laura to the market after school. It had been a while since they had any brother and sisterly bonding. Derek didn’t count tricking his student into dinner with them as real bonding time. Stiles was Laura’s only topic of conversation, well the only one she was interested in talking about. She had obviously spied on Derek when he walked Stiles to his car the night before and wanted to know the aftermath of what Stiles had said to him earlier that day.

Coming into the house after the kiss, he had walked into the living room where Laura was standing, her hand over her mouth, both of them afraid to say anything.

“Derek, what was that?” Laura had finally spoken up.

“I have no idea. All I could think was how much I wanted to kiss him and then I was and holy shit.” Derek’s eyes had widened, mirroring Laura’s.

“Holy shit.”

Needless to say, Derek didn’t sleep at all that night, he had honestly spent most of the night literally pacing his room because he couldn’t settle enough to even get lost in correcting assignments. Laura, when the initial shock wore off started to lecture him on how much of a massively stupid thing that was. She really didn’t need to tell Derek that, he already knew. She had told him that she invited Stiles over for them to get to know each other and not for Derek to shove his tongue down the kid’s throat. Luckily it hadn’t taken Laura too long to realize that yelling at Derek for doing something so stupid wasn’t going to help the situation at all.

She had collapsed next to him on the couch asking him what exactly he was planning on doing and Derek told her he had no idea. She asked what he thought Stiles was going to do and he told her once again that he had no idea. He really didn’t have any idea what he was going to do or what exactly was going to happen. Laura left him a few minutes after that, resting her hand on his shoulders, leaving Derek with his thoughts.

Stiles hadn’t texted him, which, if Derek was really honest with himself, he really didn’t expect Stiles to. The boy was probably in just as much of a shock as Derek was in, but he still couldn’t help be feel disappointed. What had he done? Who was he kidding, he knew exactly what he had done but now that he had done it he was slightly regretting some choices. Not in the way he thought he would though. Kissing Stiles potentially meant losing his job and he almost didn’t really care about that; that realization was scary. He wasn’t sure if it was because kissing Stiles was a good idea and worth whatever repercussions or that he knew the boy wouldn’t say anything.

Derek trusted Stiles and he had no idea why. There was just something that oozed off of Stiles, something that made Derek feel secure, which was weird for him. He thought if anyone were to provide comfort, it would be Derek comforting Stiles, but it never felt that way. Stiles put him at ease, something that Kate rarely did. Derek had always found himself striving to be something for Kate and the sad thing was he thought that was okay. He thought he had loved Kate and that doing things to make her happy was worth it, even if it involved changing aspects of himself. Stiles never made him feel that way, like he had to be someone else, someone who had to constantly change their skin to what someone else wanted. Derek was Derek and that seemed enough for Stiles. This gave Derek the security that he didn’t know he even wanted.

Derek was more worried about what his actions had done to Stiles. He put the boy in a rather uncomfortable position and he knew that. Derek knew he wasn’t wrong about Stiles’ feelings because they had become pretty obvious at dinner. It didn’t excuse him making such a spontaneous move because of the situation it put the boy in. _If_ Stiles wanted to reciprocate, which if the moan that escaped Stiles’ lips when he had kissed him was any indication, he wanted to. Stiles would be taking on a lot to maintain a relationship with Derek and he knew it would be too much to expect from the boy.

“Derek, just stop making excuses! Tell me what Stiles said to you at lunch!” Laura ordered. It was the tenth time she asked in the last twenty minutes. They were at the marketplace slowly walking by all the different stalls.

Derek had forgotten how much he enjoyed the market, there were so many cool things to buy. Between collectible items, handcrafted things and obviously, the fresh food that Laura got here and swore by. Derek knew his wallet would have taken a beating by the time they left. Derek couldn’t help but think that Stiles would love it here, seeing all the comic book collector items, which he could just tell Stiles would get all nerdy over.

“If I tell you will you be quiet? I don’t want to jinx anything!” Laura gasped, clapping her hands excitedly.

“There is something to jinx! Tell me!” Derek rolled his eyes. He told her how tired Stiles had looked walked into class earlier that day. She snorted saying that he was probably pacing the house like Derek did the entire night, which Derek knew drove her nuts. Derek told her that once the class ended Stiles stayed behind and flat out stated that Derek had kissed him. He told Laura that he tried changing the subject, because he had hoped they could do it somewhere more private and not and school grounds.

Laura told him he should have thought about that before he decided to lust after a student. Derek ignored her comment and proceeded to tell her that Stiles was just as interested in Derek as Derek was into him but he need to think about it.

“What does he need to think about? You’re obviously a catch!” Derek laughed.

“He said that he wanted to make sure it was the right thing. He didn’t want to rush into something that could get me in trouble but more important he want to make sure he could handle it. He told me he had a habit of rushing into things that end up overwhelming him. He said he needed to make sure it was the right thing, because he isn’t ignorant to all the extra stress and secrecy that will come with us dating.” Laura was silent for a few moments; Derek got the feeling that she expected Stiles to jump him or something.

“That was … mature of him.” Laura said, a confused look on her face.

“You sure he is in high school?” She elbowed Derek in the side. Derek rolled his eyes and shoved Laura playfully.

“Obviously, but are you that surprised that he is mature for his age?” Derek asked. He wasn’t sure how Laura really felt about the whole age difference. He knew that she would support Derek in any way she could but it that didn’t mean she completely agreed with Stiles being younger.

“He is eighteen, so it’s not like his a child, he is considered an adult. Initially he comes off childish. I’m not sure that’s a great word choice, but … if you look at him you can tell he is younger, and then again when you speak with him it’s completely different. Yes he is mature for his age but Stiles needs life to knock him around a little.” Derek nodded in agreement.

“He’ll have plenty of that, that’s for sure.”

 Laura chuckled at him.

“Already assuming he’ll say yes?”

That had taken Derek back a little. He hadn’t really given it much thought but thinking on it now, he felt like Stiles would eventually say yes. Derek felt like it was already too late for both of them, they stepped over that line a little while back and now they would just be denying themselves.

“I’m not assuming, but I think he will.” 

Derek stopped at a booth with all this handcrafted items, from necklaces, frames, furniture, to knitted sweaters, it made Derek wonder how much time these people hand on their hands and how they managed to cart all this stuff around.

“Me too.”

Derek put down the elephant ornament he was looking at it, thinking it was extremely realistic.

“Why do you say that?”

Laura smiled at him.

“By the way he was looking at you.”

 Derek motioned her to elaborate.

“What else do you want me to say? I would catch him eyeing you when he thought you weren’t looking –It was adorable actually. Just the way he looked at you, he’s totally head over heels in love with you. I don’t know if he knows it, but I got to say, I wished someone looked at me like that.” Derek flushed. Stiles couldn’t be in love with him, not yet.

“Oh relax, I’m just teasing you! Just believe me when I say the boy likes you, a lot. He’ll come to you before you know it.” Derek sighed, he liked Stiles a lot but love would be a little too much too soon.

“He said that he’ll accept bribes, basically tokens of my appreciation to help persuade his decision.” Laura had burst out laughing, making Derek chuckle. He hoped that Laura didn’t realize that Derek coming with her market killed two birds with one stone: to spend time with Laura and look for a gift for Stiles. He knew the boy wasn’t serious and probably didn’t expect Derek to surprise him with anything but Derek could be a bit of a romantic if he wanted to be. He also knows Stiles would eat it up.

“Okay, I love him more and more everyday!” This made Derek smile more, it was odd for Laura to actually like any of his potential love interests.

“Glad to see you approve!”

Laura grinned at him.

“So what are you getting him?”

Derek gave her a confused looked. He should have known she would catch on.

“What do you mean?”

Laura rolled her eyes.

“Oh, come on! I know that’s partially the reason you’re here!” That’s when Derek saw it, the black wolf and he immediately thought Sourwolf. He walked over to booth where it was being displayed. It was about the size of a puppy, maybe a little bigger. The wolf was jet black, giving the fur a bluish hint in the light. Then eyes were electric blue, with ears that stood straight up as straight up as if on alert.

“This is perfect!” Derek said loudly, indicating Laura to follow him. Picking the wolf he always gasped at how soft the fur was, it was completely perfect.

“A stuffed animal, seriously?” Derek nodded happily, giving the wolf his final inspection.

“Stiles told me one day, that the key to woo him would be stuffed animals and chocolate.” Laura gave him an incredulous look.

“What do you guys talk about exactly?”

“That doesn’t matter, but this is perfect. His children’s story, which he has taken a very personal investment in, is about werewolves and this just would make a perfect gift.” Laura just shook her head as they went towards the cash.

“Ah, Derek? You did look at the price right?” Derek never really thought about it, eyes widening at the price tag attached to the paw.

“It’s worth it.” He said immediately, all he had to think about is the smile Stiles will have on his face and it made it completely worth it.

* * *

Derek didn’t receive a text from Stiles about the wolf until lunch time the next day and Derek couldn’t help the smile that broke out across his face. He had stolen Stiles’ locker combination from the records in the secretary’s office when he got in that morning. He had excused himself from his class after he assigned seat work and broke into the young man’s locker to lay out his surprise. Derek was more than impressed with himself and Stiles seemed to be at a loss for words. That’s all Derek needed to know that the trouble had been worth it and now all he wanted to do was see Stiles, but it wouldn’t be happening this weekend.

Stiles had told him about the weekend camping trip him and all his friends were going on and Derek couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. He was secretly hoping that he would see Stiles over the weekend to spend more time with one another, getting to see the boy’s reaction when he started telling Derek about finding the wolf, but Derek guessed he would have to wait to see Stiles after the weekend.

“Who is she?” Derek snapped out of his train of thought, realizing he was in the teachers’ lounge grinning at his phone.

“Pardon?” Derek asked, sending a quick text to Stiles about all those other boys leaving him gifts. Stiles was clearly trying to make him jealous but he knew better.

“The way you’re smiling, got to be some woman to get you to smile like that.” Derek cleared his throat; things had just gotten a little awkward for him.

“He is.” Derek said, enjoying the look on Mr. Whites face. Derek wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality and felt no need to hide it from anyone, especially his coworkers. Although telling Mr. White that one of his top students was the one making Derek smile might make this extremely awkward.

“Oh—well good for you son. I must be off, papers to grade, you know.” The older man stood up, nodding briefly at Derek before leaving. Derek couldn’t help but chuckle, he guessed he wouldn’t be getting any more questions about who is making him smile anymore from Mr. White.

* * *

Derek was jolted awake by someone knocking on his door. Looking over at his clock he noticed it was just after midnight. Who could be knocking at his door at this hour in the night? Maybe Laura had forgotten her keys when she went out earlier.

Leaving his room Derek looked across the hall and saw the light from Laura’s television under the door, so he knew it couldn’t be her. Seriously, who was at his door at this hour?

Reaching the door, he opened it to see Stiles standing in front of him. Derek’s heart immediately clenched at the sight in front of him. Stiles looked rung out. He was shivering slightly, only wearing a shirt and sweat pants. His skin was completely pale, almost ghostly, with red, puffy circles around his eyes. He had been crying, the tear streaks glowing slightly under the night sky. Derek looked into the boy’s eyes and his stomach dropped completely, they were dark, almost lifeless, sadness was the only thing that could be read from them.

Derek said the boys name and immediately had Stiles crashing into him, body wrecked full of sobs. Derek immediately put his arms around Stiles tightly, rubbing his back reassuringly. Derek became aware that he was holding Stiles in his arms at the entrance to his house with the door wide open.

He told Stiles, that they needed to move into the house. The boy lifted his head off of Derek ‘s chest, one of his old university shirts soaked with tears. He leaned forward slightly passed Stiles to close the door behind him. Derek took the crying boys shaking hand and led him upstairs into his room.

He saw Laura at her doorway, worry written all over her face. Derek motioned for her to go back into her room; he didn’t want her seeing Stiles like this. The boy would probably be embarrassed enough as it was in the morning; he didn’t need her adding to it. She nodded and went back into her room, quietly closing the door.

He got Stiles to his bed and got situated. Derek sat up against the headboard with Stiles head in his lap, body still shaking, sobs still choking out of him. Derek felt his own eyes start to fill up but managed to blink the tears away. He was never good at seeing people he cared about in pain. He started to rub the boys back lightly, running his hands through his hair, trying to calm him down.

Eventually Stiles had cried himself to sleep. Derek had looked at the clock and it was half past 1 in the morning. He tiredly lifted Stiles out his lap, hearing the boy whimper. He turned off his light and got back under the sheets, making sure to cover Stiles as well. Within moments Stiles had his gangly limbs wrapped around Derek. Stiles’ head was rested on Derek’s chest, arm stretched across his abdomen and his legs completely wrapped or tangled up in Derek’s. He was surprised at how comfortable he was. Hearing the Stiles’ slow breathing was starting to lull him to sleep as well. The warmth coming from the younger man was comforting and completely unlike what he expected. Cuddling with Kate at night, she was always too hot, sometimes making Derek unbearably warm and sweaty. Stiles was like a slow burn, a gentle warmth that consumed Derek and put him at ease.

Derek felt himself slowly drift off, with the man who was turning his life upside down in his arms.

* * *

Derek woke up feeling the sunlight high on his face. He felt a little disoriented at first, this probably being the first time he slept in in the past seven years. Derek had always been an early riser; he was the one to always haul his sister out of bed for school in the mornings. Derek went to shift slightly and realized there was another body pressed up against his. He had a small moment of freaking out about what he had done and what exactly happened last night, but when he remembered seeing Stiles’ crying face, it all flooded back. He looked down at the young man currently drooling on his shoulder. He looked so peaceful, so unlike what he had looked like a few hours before.

He wasn’t really surprised that sleeping in the same bed with Stiles was like sleeping with an octopus; Stiles’ draped across his chest, he legs tangled up in Derek’s. Derek was never much for cuddling, not that he didn’t enjoy it. If how he felt at the moment was any indication of what future cuddles could bring, the he certainly would have no problem with cuddling. Kate was more of a love ‘em and roll over kind of girl. The more Derek thought about it, Stiles was probably the complete opposite of Kate in almost every way.

Stiles had this aura around him, which brighten Derek’s mood, no matter what it was. The boy made him feel things that he didn’t even know possible, things that he couldn’t even begin to describe, things Kate had never made him feel. It made Derek wonder if he was ever in love with Kate to begin with? Sure he had been crushed when he caught her cheating on him but Kate was his first really serious relationship. He dated in high school but nothing was ever serious, he always wanted to keep people an arm’s length away. Kate was the first person he let a little closer in, but he never let her all the way in, mainly due to the fact that she always kept Derek at an arm’s length away from her as well and at the time it never bothered Derek.

Just comparing his feelings now; towards Stiles to the ones he had for Kate, he may have loved her but whatever this was, it was completely different.

“You think way too loudly.” A voice rasped at him, feeling the vibration on his chest.

Derek chuckled slightly, he hadn’t realized he’d been staring at the Stiles the entire time but he didn’t even notice them boy move an itch. How long had he been awake?

“Well, you drool way too much.” He saw Stiles smile, nuzzling into his chest, inhaling deeply. This made Derek grin.

“Comfy?” Derek asked and Stiles hummed under his breath nodding.

“I don’t think I’ve slept so well in a very long time.” Derek sighed in contentment, silently agreeing with Stiles. It had probably been the best night sleep he has had in a long time, to however late it was. Derek hadn’t had the will to actually move his head to look at his alarm on the nightstand.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Derek immediately felt Stiles tense up and he really wanted to kick himself. Stiles had probably had forgotten about last night, at least for a few moments and Derek just did an awesome job at reminding him.

“I’m sorry, I didn—.”

Stiles cut him off.

“Derek, don’t worry. Really it should be me apologizing to you, just randomly showing up like I did.” Stiles started to move himself away from Derek but he tightened the grip he had around Stiles and pulled him even closer, if that was possible.

“I’m serious Derek, I’m really sorry and extremely embarrassed because wow I was a wreck last night, oh god!”

Stiles grabbed the sheet and buried his face in them. Derek chuckled, trying to grab the sheet from Stiles to uncover the boy.

“Stiles, seriously! I am really happy that you came to me. I know it was embarrassing.” Stiles was struggling with Derek. He didn’t miss the chuckle that Stiles let out; Derek would have to start tickling him soon and Stiles didn’t want that.

“I want to be the person you come too.”

Stiles stopped fighting him.

“I want to be the person you come to for anything, especially for moments like that. I want to be that person for you.”  Derek finally uncovered Stiles and he saw the blush creeping up on the younger man’s face. Stiles was grinning as he pushed himself up off Derek’s chest, making himself at eye level with Derek. They were inches apart and Stiles cupped the side of Derek’s face.

“Thank you.” Stiles whispered and leaned in, lips gently pressing against Derek’s. It wasn’t chaste or passionate but soft and just nice. The kiss wasn’t hurried and intense like the one Derek initiated in the driveway a few nights prior. Stiles pulled back and it was Derek’s turn to blush, as he felt the heat creeping up his face, especially under Stiles intense gaze.

“You know,” Stiles started rubbing his thumb over Derek’s cheek.

“You’re so adorable with bed head.” Derek groaned and slid down more into the bed, pulling the sheets over his head. Stiles jumped on him, straddling his waist.

“… and even cuter when you blush.” Stiles laughed and got off the bed. Derek threw the blankets off the bed himself and hopped out. Stiles eyes immediately connected to Derek’s bare chest and Derek couldn’t help but smirk.

“See something you like?” Derek watched Stiles flush as he went to his clothes to grab a pair sweats and old t-shirt for both him and Stiles.

“Here, take these and take a shower, I’ll make some breakfast!” Stiles grabbed the clothes from Derek’s hand, giving him a grateful look. Derek hated staying in clothes he slept in, especially ones he wore the whole day previously.

“Are you trying to say I smell?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying; now go before I have to throw you in there myself.” Stiles stuck out his tongue and turned around the leave the room.

“It’s directly across the hall, you can’t miss it.” Stiles grunted and Derek laughed shrugging on his shirt and pulling up his sweats.

Downstairs in the kitchen Derek saw Laura leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug of tea in her hands.

“Morning,” She smiled into her cup.

“What are you smiling at?” Derek asked.

“Well, this is probably the first time in a very long time that you have slept passed seven in the morning.” Derek already knew this, but didn’t think it was that big of a deal.

“What makes it so smile-worthy?” Laura took another sip.

“Well it’s because you had your man in bed with you.” Derek tried not to smile too much at the idea of Stiles being his man.

“Well, it’s not like I could kick him out.”

“Like you wanted too! I poked my head in earlier; you guys were so snuggled up against each other it was probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Derek felt a flush come to his cheeks

“Whatever.” Derek went over to the fridge to see what he could possibly make for breakfast; he knew Stiles would want something healthy even though Derek wanted the greasiest thing in existence.

“Where is he at now?” Laura asked. Derek took various fresh fruits and started to wash them in the sink. A fruit salad with yogurt, granola and maybe some toast.

“In the shower, he probably needs one after last night.” Laura hummed in agreement.

“Did he say anything, about what happened?” Derek shook his head.

“It probably had something to do with those friends of his.” Derek put emphasis on friends, making sure the sarcasm dripped from his mouth.

“Not so friendly?”

“No, they aren’t. From what I understand they don’t outwardly pick on him, but they tease, make jokes about him being gay and all that jazz, but that is all the same shit to me.” Laura gave a noise in agreement and came along side Derek and started to cut the fruit into chunks and put them in the bowl.

“Do you think that’s what happened this time?” Laura asked and Derek was wondering the same thing. Derek didn’t think Stiles would ever get that upset over some simple teasing. Derek guessed they either brought it into a whole level or Stiles finally decided to tell them to lay off and things got out of hand. Derek secretly hoped it was the latter, he hoped Stiles put them in their place.

“I don’t know. I hope Stiles finally decided to pick up for himself though, there is no reason why that boy should have to deal with that on a daily basis, from anyone.” Derek sighed and leaned against the counter, watching Laura cut up the rest of the pineapple.

“What’s for breakfast?” Stiles entered with a grin on his face.

“Fruit salad.” Stiles made a pleased noise, like Derek figured he would.

“You’re just in time.” Laura said, thrusting the bowl full of toss fruits into Stiles’ hands.

“Be a doll and bring that to the table.” Stiles grinned at her, knowing that Laura was putting on her hard ass routine. Stiles was catching on to her pretty fast.

Breakfast was a pretty quiet affair, the three of them ate in silence, other than the little quips that Laura and Stiles both made at Derek. Stiles’ mainly centered on the fact that Derek knew what fruit was, which made Laura snort.

“Well, I’m going to leave you two love birds to talk; I got a few errands to run.” Laura said standing up to take her dirty dishes into the kitchen.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” This made Stiles snort and Derek just laughed. It was kind of scary how well these two seemed to take to each other.

There was a few moment of silence where Stiles was staring down at his bowl, rolling a grape back and forth with his spoon.

“Did you want to talk about what happened?” Derek asked quietly. Stiles sighed and leaned back into his chair, abandoning the spoon and the grape.

“You don’t have too, just letting you know that if you need to talk, I am here for you.” Stiles smiled.

“Its fine and I do want to talk about it.” Derek gave Stiles a reassuring smile, reaching over the table to put his hand over his.

“I guess it started when I told Scott I was gay.” Stiles said. Derek knew he wasn’t going to like Scott after this, not that he had a high opinion of him before.

“Before he was, well he was my best friend. It was literally us against the world. He was my only friend, literally my only friend.” Derek frowned, he really couldn’t imagine how alone Stiles must have felt, still feels.

“I am a weird person, not crazy weird but the weird most people don’t like or try to avoid. My outbursts, my personality, my quirks and literally how I manage to vibrate to wherever I go kind of repeal people. Not Scott though, we always kind of fit together, it was like all these things that people didn’t like about me, all the insecurities I had about myself didn’t faze Scott. He didn’t notice them.”

“Until now, until he found out you were gay…” Derek finished Stiles’ thought and the boy nodded.

“I just don’t understand what changed. I have always been the same person. Sure, he knows a few more details about my personal life, but how does that change anything? I am still the same person I have always been! Why does who I crawl into bed with at night matter to him? It shouldn’t!” Stiles’ voice was rising, Derek didn’t blame the boy for being so mad, he was raging for Stiles.

“I mean, Derek. He was there. There when my mother died. He held me, was with me every day, I honestly don’t think I could have ever made it through what I did without Scott. Now that’s all gone down the drain, a friendship that means everything to me is gone.” Derek brought his other had to Stiles’ and squeezed both of them gently.

“Tell me what happened last night Stiles.” Derek the boy was getting caught up in all these emotions, Derek needed for him to press on so he could figure out how to help him.

“Scott changed when he met Allison. He was the same person, sure, but he was never there. I spent a lot of time alone, I tried making new friends but that is something I was never good at. I got jealous, I know that’s a normal thing to feel, but it was unwarranted. I hated Allison at first and when I got to know her it killed me to like her as much as I did. I felt like I was left in the dust and I still feel like that a lot of the time, but I moved past it. I know things change when you meet someone like Allison.” Derek gave Stiles a confused look.

“Someone who you know is the one. The one you constantly think about, the one that makes you feel things you’ve never felt before, the one that challenges you in ways you never knew you could be challenged, the one who drives you crazy but you still love them in every moment, the one you can’t seem to breathe properly without, the one you feel like is half of yourself and that’s Allison for Scott. Who am I to take that away from him? Make him choose or cause conflict in that. I don’t want to stand between him and his happiness.” Derek’s stomach was in complete knots. He wanted to be Stiles’ Allison. More importantly, he wanted Stiles to be his.

“I never said anything, I swallowed my jealousy and all my feelings of abandonment and things got a little better, but it’ll never be what it was before. Then I told him I was gay and he literally changed the subject, Derek, acted like I never said anything. Then things got drastically worse and kind of spiraled downwards until last night, when I had enough.” Derek couldn’t help but feel proud of Stiles at the thought of him finally standing up for himself against Scott. Someone needed to knock him down a few pegs.

“I know I come off a passive person and let myself be walked all over. I’m not, I have patience and I knew Scott was having trouble with this and I was waiting for him to come to me, for him to tell me what was on his mind. He saw the gift you left in the locker yesterday and he got extremely upset.” Derek tensed at the thought of Scott knowing Stiles was seeing someone or potentially seeing someone. He knew that he didn’t give anything away by the note, but it would put a lot of heat on Stiles for all his friends to know there was someone in his life.

“Scott started to throw it in my face, in front of everyone, not caring if I wanted anyone knowing about what he saw. He said that I was different, that I was this new me and I called him out. Asked him how would he know? How he is never around and if it wasn’t with Allison, I would never see him. I told him that I had a hard time accepting my sexuality, at first and he knew that, but he never seemed to care about it. That he watched the others poke fun at me at my expense. That if it never involved his precious Allison, it didn’t matter.” Stiles sighed, knowing that had probably been the wrong to say at the time. Derek guessed it was because Allison seemed like volatile subject for the both of them.

“He snapped and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, telling me not to talk about Allison and then I snapped. The first thing he says after all that was Allison, defending Allison. I pushed him off me and then he says it.” Stiles paused, blinking away tears that were starting to form.

“He said, ‘you think I asked to have you turn gay on me’. I told him he didn’t have to worry about that from now and I left. You know where I ended up.” Stiles shrugged in defeat.

“Stiles, I’m sorry, I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you right now.” Stile gave him a small smile but Derek knew Stiles didn’t really want anyone’s sympathy.

“Do you have any plan about what to do next? I can tell you I am not his biggest fan but this friendship is important to you and I bet it is important to him as well. It just got lost a long with way.” Stiles shrugged, making Derek frown.

“I know I should talk to him. That would be the mature thing to do, but I’m tired of doing the mature thing. I just want to be angry and punch Scott in the face. I want to be upset and just say whatever comes to my mind and spit it at him like he did to me. I’m tired of being the one to always act like an adult and have to simmer down and be the voice of reason.” Derek nodded. He understood, he really did. It came with being Laura’s brother. It sucked being the one with the level head and fighting all your urges just freak out, just like everyone else.

“Give it some time. Fight it out some more, if you’re given the chance. You have a lot of pent up emotions, that you still need to get out. You don’t need to be the responsible one, not this time.” Stiles nodded, releasing his hands from Derek to run over his head, letting out a large sigh.

“I’m kind of peeved that my weekend away was ruined too. It’s been a while since I got a chance to get out of here, even if it was a couple of miles away.” It hit Derek then, he knew what he could do to cheer Stiles up.

“Let’s go on a road trip.” Stiles gave him a you’re-crazy-look.

“No, I’m serious. I mean, everyone still thinks you’re out of town, I have nothing to do and your weekend won’t be completely ruined.” Derek was already planning everything out.

“Derek, seriously we really—”

“I’ve heard enough, it’s already decided.” Derek put his hand up, stopping Stiles’ protests.

“I’m assuming you grabbed your things before you left.” Stiles nodded.

“Good, now you’re going to go to your Jeep, get a proper change of clothes, even though you look way to good in my old college shirt. I’m going to get a bag packed and call Laura to tell her what I’m up too.” Stiles sighed, a smirk forming on his lips.

“There is no point in arguing, is there?” Derek shook his head.

“No point.”

Stiles grinned, hopping up from his chair and ran over to Derek and pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you!” Derek grinned, hugging back.

“No problem.”

The boy broke the embrace a few moments later and Stiles hurried over to the door to head to his Jeep.

“Where are we going exactly?” Derek gave him and mischievous grin.

“It’s a surprise.” Stiles rolled his eyes and left the house.

Derek knew exactly where he should take Stiles.

It was going be perfect.


	7. Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here is the new chapter. Just a warning before you read, I hope you enjoy all the fluff. 
> 
> As I mentioned when I first posted this story, I already had chapters previously uploaded on FF.net. It was why I was able to update frequently every week. This chapter marks the story officially being caught up with FF. It means that I won't be updated as frequently. I aim to have a chapter written every two weeks, sometimes I get it done before or after. It really depends on school and how demanding it is. I also have to wait for my beta reader Andrea to work her magic and make it all pretty for you guys. 
> 
> Another really important announcement. I plan on changing the name of the story, I'm not quite sure what it will be but do expect a name change after the next chapter. Just warn you ahead of time.
> 
> Once again thank you so much Andrea for beta reading this chapter for.
> 
> I think that is it! Enjoy! :)

Chapter 7: Need

_Stiles_

Stiles knew that this was a bad idea. Not like the ‘I just won’t do my homework tonight’ kind of idea. This kind of idea could end badly in so many ways. What if his dad saw him back in town? His dad knew that Stiles was supposed to be at the lake having a great time. What if he saw Stiles driving around town with his teacher in his Jeep? Which was another thing Stiles was worried about; didn’t these types of relationships have to be kept a secret? Not that he was assuming that this was a relationship but he knew what people would think. It wasn’t like they were going to still be in town either way so Stiles guessed that really didn’t matter much after all. It’s not like they were doing anything illegal.

Just something extremely frowned upon.

Stiles wondered if anyone tried contacting his father after what happened last night. What if his father was expecting him? Stiles thought if the Sheriff was, his father probably would have called by now. Having his ‘friends’ slip that he came back into town early to his father or anyone that would tell would be a disaster. He’d then have to explain where he disappeared too for the entire weekend. Stiles would have to contact someone that was left at the lake, his best bet was Danny.

After grabbing a change of clothes from his Jeep, Stiles went back in the Hale residence and headed straight up to the bathroom to change out of Derek’s clothes. He reluctantly shed the older man’s clothes hoping that the smell of him lingered on his skin. Stiles wondered if he could somehow steal Derek’s shirt without him noticing, he wasn’t completely opposed to wearing it around, forever.

Looking at himself in the mirror he grinned slightly wearing the red hoodie he bought for the dinner at the Hales earlier that week. Stiles wondered if Derek liked him in the hoodie. It got him a kiss before and maybe he would be just as lucky now. This time he was more interested in prolonging that experience instead of the surprise attack Derek gave him a few nights previously. It had been pretty one sided and Stiles needed to show off his non-existent skills.

Stiles sent a text to Danny asking how things were. Stiles wondered what had happened after he left. It could have gone one of two ways, either they had been happy Stiles was finally gone or the gravity of the whole argument had ruined the night. Either way Stiles felt really bad for Danny, leaving him there as a fifth wheel while he got to sleep in Derek’s arms. Stiles explained to Danny that he was okay and he was with the guy he told him about. He mentioned they were going to take a trip out of town to get Stiles mind off what had happened. He asked him to cover for him if they all went back into town early and his father found out, if he could anyways.

Waking up to Derek was something that Stiles could get used too. Outside of the completely embarrassing reason why he was lying in Derek’s arms in the first place. Waking up to him gave Stiles the most amazing feeling in the world. A sense of calm and warmth he had never felt before. It wasn’t the normal butterflies and tumbling stomach that Derek normally gave him. This was something deeper, a contentment he never felt before.

Stiles was awake before Derek, listening to his slow breathing and heartbeat. Stiles realized he had drooled over Derek’s chest but he couldn’t seem to care at the time. He was just breathing in Derek’s scent, leaving him in a daze. He realized when Derek was awake. The older man didn’t tense like Stiles thought he would, but seemed to relax even more, which gave Stiles the butterflies he was actually starting to become accustomed too.

Stiles heard Derek call out to him from his room. Stiles sighed taking in his form, nodding in agreement with how he looked. Stiles grabbed Derek’s shirt leaving the bathroom putting the shirt up to his face, inhaling Derek’s scent one last time.

Derek was in the room stuffing clothes into a duffle bag

“I talked to Laura, letting her know that we are going on a little road trip.” Derek smiled up at Stiles, making the younger boys heart flutter in his chest.

“Oh? What did she say?” Stiles asked.

“Too use protection.” Stiles turned beet red.

“She said she didn’t want to have to deal with a pregnant teenager.” Stiles shook his head laughing.

“Who says you’re going to get that lucky?” Stiles challenged.

“I never, she did.”

“Well, she’s wrong; if anyone is coming back pregnant it’ll be you!” This made Derek chuckle making him give Stiles a ‘is that so’ look.

“Where exactly are we going anyways?” Stiles said changing the subject, handing over Derek’s shirt, regretfully. He needed a change in topic because Stiles was so disgustingly attracted to this man, it really didn’t matter in what way he had this man, only that he had him.

In a pure physical sense at least.

“It’s a surprise! Trust me.” Derek took the shirt and just ended up stuffing that into his bag as well. Stiles eyed it carefully, knowing he’d concoct a way to get that shirt into his bag without Derek noticing.

“I don’t know Mr. Hale,” Stiles smiled.

“You could be leading me into a trap. Then take advantage of me.” Derek rolled his eyes grabbing his duffle from the bed. He started to usher Stiles out of the room.

“I’m pretty sure it would take a special kind of person to take advantage of you.” Stiles knew it was true. This whole road trip thing was probably the most spontaneous thing he had ever done—with an almost stranger at least. Not that Derek was completely a stranger but Stiles didn’t know him as much as he would have liked.

“Well, if there was anyone to take advantage of me. I’d be okay if it was you.” Stiles winked at the older man, basking in the fact that he was making Derek blush.

It blew Stiles mind a little that he would ever say something like this to Derek. Never in a million years had he ever thought that he would be standing in Derek’s house, about to go on some sort of road trip with him. If he had learned this information back in September he probably would have laughed in the face of whoever told him. Here he was though, standing in Derek’s house flirting with him, getting ready to leave on this road trip.

“Well, keep wearing that hoodie and I just might have too.” Derek quickly recovered making Stiles blush again. He wondered if there was ever going to be a different shade other than red come to either of their cheeks. Stiles rejoiced a little inside, he had been right about the hoodie.

“Come on, we got a decent drive ahead of us so we should really get on the road.” Stiles made sure he had everything before he exited the Hale residence, heading over to his Jeep. He unlocked the door so Derek could throw his stuff in the back.

“I hope you’re a safe driver. Just so you know I don’t make a good passenger.”

Stiles rolled his eyes slightly.

“Great, you’re one of those.” Derek smacked Stiles shoulder playfully.

“Hey! Now, there is no touching the driver!” Derek smacked Stiles again.

“I said quit it!”

“Well, start moving and I will!”

* * *

Stiles always loved a long drive. He found driving always cleared his thoughts; he’d often go for drives himself when he needed to clear his head when things became too much. He found while he was still discovering himself he went for drives often, when things got to blurry and the lines Stiles made for himself got crossed.

Stiles could easily tell that Derek didn’t like long drives. He could actually feel the restlessness radiate off the man. The way the man would fiddle with everything he could get his hands on and reposition himself in the seat every few minutes. He was acting more like Stiles than Stiles was.

“Okay, you’re making me anxious.” Stiles blurted once Derek started to motion that he was going to move again.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

“What’s going on?” Stiles asked, giving Derek a glance. The man almost seemed small, which when Stiles thought about it almost seemed impossible. Derek was such a big guy, but right now, he was holding himself and almost seemed nervous.

“Contrary to popular belief, just because I am older and just a tad more experienced, doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous, especially in close proximity to the guy who I happen to like.” Stiles opened his mouth to say something but closed it, not sure of what to say exactly. He never really thought about it, how this all affected Derek. He knew the man had a lot to lose by this relationship and how it affected him that way. It was the first time it really dawned on Stiles that Derek was in the exact same position as he was. He was nervous just like Stiles, so unsure of everything, whatever this was. They really didn’t know each other, not like they should before they decided something as serious as the possibility of dating. Stiles knew he was attracted to Derek and Stiles automatically assumed vice versa but what about the rest? The emotional part.

Stiles really hoped that they were compatible.

“An ice breaker!” Stiles said suddenly.

“What?” Derek gave him a confused look.

“Well, we are both nervous, so let’s find a little ice breaker. I mean this is the first time we have been by ourselves to actually talk, you as Derek, not my teacher and me as just crazy Stiles, not your student.” Stiles nodded to himself. It was a good idea, they needed something to get the magic flowing, if there was any, but Stiles highly doubted there would be anything lacking in that department.

“What did you have in mind?”

“20 questions! I know, not that creative but it’ll help each other get to know us a little more.” Derek nodded in agreement, turning his body towards Stiles.

“So who goes first?” Derek asked and Stiles grinned.

“It might as well be me, it was my idea.” Stiles thought for a moment. He knew that there was so many obvious questions he wanted to ask Derek. They seemed to be too intense to really start off with so maybe something simple to start.

“What would you do with a million dollars?” Derek laughed loudly.

“Out of all the things you could ask me you ask what I would spend my money on.” Derek shook his head.

“Well there is a method to my logic okay and plus there is a lot to learn about what a person does with their money! Also, got to know I’ll be covered when my sugar daddy wins the lotto.” Stiles winked over at Derek. Stiles meant what he said about what people do with their money. Stiles knew if he had too much money on his hands he would definitely share the wealth.

“Let’s see…” Derek pondered for a minute.

“I would definitely give some to my sister, for all she has done for me.” Stiles knew about the fire that took their parents when they were teenagers. Stiles was only a kid at the time but he guessed it was Derek and Laura against the world after that.

“I would make sure the people in my life were cared for and had everything they needed. I would probably do the obvious things like get rid of my debt and make sure I am financially secure.” Stiles nodded, it was pretty practical. If this were Stiles he would make sure his dad didn’t have to worry about anything after he retired.

“I also, if I could afford to, would like to rebuild my home.” Stiles felt his stomach drop. He had forgotten that the remains of the Hale house were still there, almost like a constant reminder of what had happened.

“Do you think that’s weird?” Derek asked.

“Never, that’s your home. Nothing changes that.” Stiles reach over reassuringly touching Derek’s leg giving him a smile.

“I know what happened there and I’ll never forget but it was theirs and I would love to have it back; for my family and their families.” Things were silent for a moment and Stiles wasn’t sure what to say exactly. He knew there weren’t enough words in the English language, or any language for that matter, to make the feeling of losing someone go away.

“I guess it is my turn now, although I did just ask you that question.” Derek said a little sadly, realizing he had wasted a question.

“Nah, its okay, that was a like a sub question, didn’t really count.” Stiles smiled over at him.

“I’m an open book! Shoot!”

“Have you ever laughed so hard you peed yourself?” Stiles stared at Derek in utter disbelief.

“Is that seriously your question? Why would you ever want to know that?” Derek smirked.

“I have my reasons! Now answer!” Stiles groaned.

“Okay, yes! One time but it actually couldn’t be helped.” Derek motioned for Stiles explain and Stiles chuckled slightly at the memory

“Okay, so I really had to pee. It was me and Scott and we were running home from that summer carnival that is always on the go. Anyways, Scott bet me I couldn’t drink ten sodas so needless to say I proved him wrong.” Stiles had almost exploded due to the amount of carbonization, but that was a minor details.

“Naturally.” Derek commented.

“So, we were running, mostly because I had to pee, very badly and I am not one for public restrooms, at all. I was running alongside Scott and I look over at him just in time to see him run directly into a light pole.” Derek snickered and Stiles himself started laughing again at the memory.

“I laughed so hard that I pissed myself and you know what, to this day it was worth it.” Scott had tried to tease Stiles about it, but Stiles always reminded him of why he was laughing so hard to begin with and it usually shut him up.

“Wow, I wish I could have seen it.” Derek said.

“Well, just keep your eye out; Scott hasn’t gotten any less klutzy so he is bound to trip up sometime.” Lacrosse practice was always priceless.

“That would turn out so well. A teacher laughing at a student tripping up and falling on their face.” Stiles could picture Derek doing that but it would look bad, it would be hilarious but bad.

“Who says you have to be a nice teacher?” Derek gave him a look.

“Okay, okay, let’s just hope you can control your urge to laugh for when it does happen and you see it.” Derek nodded.

“Your turn now Stiles! Make it a good one.” Stiles thought for a moment, he was going to make this one ridiculous.

“If you had a vagina for a day, what would be the first thing you do would with it?” Derek gave Stiles a look that said he wasn’t even surprised that this is what Stiles called a good question.

“I’d pee.” Stiles burst out laughing.

“You’d pee.” Out of all the things he could do with a vagina, he would want to pee first.

“Of course, I would want to see the difference. There has got to be some difference, right?” Stiles couldn’t believe Derek was serious about this.

“Okay, you’re weird. Too even think about the difference between males and females peeing and what it would feel like is a little weird.”

“Oh and asking me what I would do with a vagina isn’t?” Touché.

“But to pee though? Why not have sex or masturbate? I’m not going to lie, I always wondered about that multiple orgasm stuff.” Stiles didn’t believe that one person could experience that much pleasure.

“Well, it’s not like I could find anyone willing to have sex with a man who has a vagina.”

“I would.” Stiles blurted.

“I thought you strictly on a man diet Stiles.” Derek teased him.

“Well, I would, as long as you looked like you. I could over look where my penis goes.” Stiles then realized that he just openly admitted to Derek that he would like to have sex with him, penis or vagina.

“Are you trying to say that you want to have sex with me Stiles?” Stiles felt his ears start to burn.

“Well, no—I mean yes. Hypothetically yes. I mean, seriously. Look at yourself. You’re extremely good looking and I am a warm blooded teenage male. I would be flat out lying if I said I never thought about it.” Stiles babbled and Derek only laughed.

“I understand Stiles, and am extremely flattered.” Stiles only nodded, trying to regain some focus on the road before he drives them into a ditch.

“Besides,” Derek continued, “I can’t help but admit that I have thought about you in some compromising positions as well.” Stiles was literally going to drive off the road. Derek had thought about them having sex. Had Derek ever masturbated to Stiles, because Stiles had masturbated to Derek, a lot.

“Such as.” Stiles managed to squeak out.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Stiles nodded furiously.

“Yes, yes I would really like to know.” Derek just laughed and Stiles scowled a little.

“You can’t just leave a guy hanging like that. That isn’t fair!”

“Well they are my fantasies Stiles.” Fantasies. Derek had used fantasies and Stiles in the same sentence.

“Fine, but just so you know you’ll never get to hear what goes on up in this brain of mine, your loss.” Stiles wasn’t above a little bit of blackmail.

“I’ll leave you with this. One particular fantasy included your mouth and the christening of the desk in my classroom.” Stiles literally swerved into the next lane.

“Oh god, okay, next question, please.” Derek laughed loudly bringing his hand over and resting it on Stiles’ neck, squeezing it gently.

“Okay, I’ll keep this one safe. Do you ever see yourself getting married and/or having children?” Stiles blessed the heavens right now because if Derek had to go any farther he would have had to pull over and try not to jump him.

“Definitely.” Stiles answered.

“Wow, no hesitation there.” Derek said surprised.

“Is that bad thing? I mean it’s not like I want a child now. I don’t believe that a person should raise a child until they can support one. Trust me, a few shifts at the library stocking shelves isn’t going to cut it.” That is one thing Stiles didn’t want to sacrifice was his want for having a child or two running around him.

“No it’s not a bad thing; I’m just surprised about how sure you are.” Derek smiled at him. Stiles felt warmth in his stomach. He wondered if Derek wanted a family.

“I just love kids; I just want to share with them everything I have learned. I don’t want to be one of those people who raise a child because they have too. I want to pass on the things I’ve learned in life, teaching them about the wonders of living and hardships you have to face. A part of me feels like I need to share that with someone and be with a person who understands and wants the same thing.” Stiles looked over Derek. The older man was giving Stiles a look he couldn’t quite decipher. Not that Stiles could really pinpoint Derek’s emotions anyways. The man always seemed to escape Stiles sometimes and it was hard for him to tell what Derek was feeling and thinking.

“So is that a requirement? For all your future men?” Stiles knew it would be crazy unrealistic to expect that of a person, at this time in someone`s life.

“No, I mean, that is such a big thing for the future, to ask someone to make such a big decision right now in their lives would be unrealistic and selfish. I would like someone to have an open mind about the idea, but, no, not a requirement.” Derek hummed in agreement me. It made Stiles wonder.

“Do you like kids?” Stiles knew that he was using up one his questions but the suspense of wondering if Derek wanted children or not was killing Stiles.

“I think I’ll like my kids.” Derek said and Stiles felt his heart sink just a little.

“I mean, if I plan to have any, but honestly kids just don’t like me at all. I kind of freeze up and get awkward and it’s just a huge mess. I’d have to have a baby whisperer or someone like you as my partner if I were to ever have kids.” Stiles laughed, Derek was almost dead on. Stiles can’t remember one time where he had to stop holding a baby because they wouldn’t settle down. They always seemed to immediately fall asleep in Stiles’ arms. Maybe he was the baby whisperer.

“Okay my turn again! Do you like spontaneity or stability?” Stiles sucked in, making a hissing noise.

“Ouch, that is a hard one!” Derek nodded.

“I’d have to say, a bit of both? If that’s allowed? I mean, without a bit of spontaneity life would be completely boring and we would never be on this little road trip to god knows where. Stability is nice too. It’s nice to know where you stand with things and people. I think a healthy mix of both makes for a happy Stiles.”

“I agree too, can’t have things getting out of hand or boring. Plus, a happy Stiles is what makes the world go around.” Derek teased Stiles a little, which seemed to be one of the things Derek loved to do.

Stiles rolled his eyes, “You’re so funny. I got a bit of a personal one for you now.” Stiles hoped Derek didn’t mind because this one has been churning in Stiles’ mind for a while now. Seeing Derek nod, Stiles continued.

“Have you ever had feelings for another man before?” There was a silence in the car for a few moments, Stiles was holding his breath, feeling like he went a little too far and too personal.

“I-I have always known that I like men. I don’t really like to put a label on myself because then there are expectations society puts on you under certain labels.” Stiles nodded, letting Derek know he understood which he meant. If a person were straight, certain things were expected of them. If a person was gay, stereotypes and other labels were also forced on them as well. He could understand Derek not wanting to be a part of that.

“But no, you are the first guy that I have had more than a physical attraction too. I think it’s why I am so nervous around you. It’s just a side of myself I have never really explored. I have only had one serious relationship before this and that was with a girl, you’re like uncharted territory.” Stiles snorted.

“Literally.” Stiles never knew why, but sometimes he felt ashamed of that fact that he was a virgin. He knew it wasn’t an uncommon thing for a guy to be a virgin at his age. He felt like it should have been something he should have experienced already but he would always reassure himself that he wanted to wait for the right person. He didn’t have to love them but just have someone that made him feel comfortable enough with himself to have that sort of intimacy with someone.

“It’s not a bad thing you know?” Derek smiled over at Stiles.

“It makes it special. For you and the person you’re with. Well, as long as they treat you right.” Derek said a little warningly. Stiles couldn’t help but think about how he already knew that Derek would treat him right, make it right for him, for the both of them.

“Got too find my prince charming then I guess.” Stiles stuck his tongue out at Derek and the older man rolled his eyes.

“Okay, since you asked a personal question, it is my turn.” Stiles couldn’t help but think ‘oh god’, he wondered what Derek would ask him.

“What’s your real name?”

“What do you mean?” Derek froze for a second.

“Stiles, that isn’t your name right? Please tell me that isn’t your name? Cause I will feel ultra embarrassed if I picked up on that wrong.” Stiles felt efficiently awkward right now.

“Stiles isn’t my name…” Stiles paused.

“…But,” Derek finished for him.

“I don’t tell anyone my real name.” There was an awkward silence for a moment before Derek spoke up again.

”It can’t be that bad.” Stiles wished that were true but it was really bad.

“It is. Scott doesn’t even know what it is; I’ve refused to tell anyone.” Derek sighed.

“You will tell me, it’ll only be a matter of time.” Stiles laughed.

“Don’t hold your breath.” Stiles was honestly surprised that Derek never even bothered to check the school records, Stiles was sure that his name was there but he could be wrong.

“Okay, so because you didn’t tell me what your name was I get to ask you an inappropriate question.” Derek spoke up suddenly.

“What is your biggest turn on?” Derek asked before Stiles could even tell him no question was inappropriate, except for maybe that one because Stiles was going to flat out embarrass himself.

“You’re going to lose your positive opinion of me after this.” Derek’s smile turned into a grimace.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with poop does it?” Stiles laughed.

“No, there is no defecation involved.” Derek sighed in relief.

“Good, because if there was, I didn’t want to know. That is something we can file under the column of things to not discuss.” Stiles chuckled nervously and actually broke out into a sweat. He was actually going to tell Derek this.

“It’s more like the idea of something then it is a specific thing—or maybe it is a specific thing. I don’t really know.” Derek gave Stiles a confused look.

“Claiming.”

“What?”

“Claiming, as in like, marking someone as yours.” Stiles said nervously.

“Oh.”

“Oh god, you totally think I’m some weird freak.” If Stiles hadn’t been driving he would have buried his head in his hands and never looked at Derek again.

“I don’t think you’re some weird freak but you’re going to have to elaborate a little.” Derek had a smirk to his face and Stiles knew he was setting himself up for the most awkward explanation of his life.

“It’s like having bareback sex with someone and having them ejaculate in you, to have them left in you, marking you as theirs. Leaving hickeys on that person’s body, letting other people know that the person in particular is taken. Like I said it’s more of the idea of something. I guess being owned by someone, not in the slave sense but being dominated by someone to a certain extent. I have no idea if I am explaining this right.” Stiles took a deep breath; Derek totally thought he was into all that kinky stuff.

“So you like your partner to be possessive over you, dominating you in ways that stakes his claim to you.” That was such an easier way to say that, Stiles wished he has said that first.

“That sounds about right.” Stile refused to look in Derek’s direction, afraid to see the look of disgust written on his.

“I need you to pull over, Stiles.” Stiles was starting to freak out now. Derek was actually so disgusted that he needed to get out of the Jeep. Stiles could actually cry right now, he had managed to fuck this up before it even started. If he was completely honest with himself, there would have been no way he wouldn’t try with Derek. Stiles couldn’t have turned his back on something that felt so right.

Now he had ruined it with his crazy sex fantasies.

Stiles started to pull over to the shoulder of the road. The Jeep came to a screeching stop when Stiles leaned back in his seat, not even daring to look at Derek. He was trying to come up with some words to fix this, to make it better, to make Derek seem more comfortable with the information Stiles had just told him. Stiles was actually at a loss for words, maybe this whole twenty questions had been a bad idea.

“God Derek, I’m so sor—” Stiles was cut off my Derek grabbing him by the back of the head and smashing their lips together. Stiles let out a pathetic whimper and Derek let out a full on groan into Stiles’ mouth, sending shivers right down Stiles spine.

This kiss was a lot different from their last one, this one was much more aggressive and Stiles was given a chance to return it. Once he got his bearings Stiles reached up running his hand through Derek’s hair tugging at it playfully. Derek groaned into his mouth again, nipping at Stiles’ bottom lip, running his tongue over the sensitive skin, almost asking for Stiles acceptance. Stiles parted his lips slightly and that was all the invitation that Derek need before he plunged his tongue into Stiles mouth, massaging their tongues together. Stiles groaned kissing Derek just as feverishly back, letting his hands fall to the other mans developed chest.

“I hope that was okay, I keep doing that too you, but I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I needed you.” Derek said breathless when they broke apart, voice deep and husky.

Stiles was panting, trying to get catch his breath.

“That was more than okay, feel free to do that as much as you want.” Stiles grinned at Derek’s face lighting up.

“Good, because if we talk anymore about sex and I keep having thoughts about all the different ways I can claim you, we will get into a car accident because I’ll end up jumping you.” Derek said seriously and Stiles kind of gaped at him. Derek just smiled leading forward pressing a light kiss on Stiles bottom lip.

“We should get back on the road, you need to take the next exit, and we still got another couple of hours before we get there.” Stiles nodded dumbly, putting the Jeep back in drive, driving back onto the highway towards the exit.

Stiles’ mind was blown. Derek just kissed him again and Stiles had actually gotten a chance to return the favour. He knew this hoodie was good luck.

Stiles wondered how many more kisses he could get out of Derek before the day ended.

* * *

It was mid afternoon before Stiles pulled into a restaurant just off the highway.

“Okay, I really need to eat, I am wasting away here.” Derek rolled his eyes, undoing his seat belt.

“Yeah, you look it.” He teased. Stiles gave him an offended look.

“Are you calling me fat? ‘Cause that’s mean Derek, we all can’t be photo-shopped like you.” Derek snorted.

“If only getting abs were as easy and clicking a few buttons.” Derek raised his shirt a little and Stiles tried his hardest to look away.

“Put your shirt down. I’m hungry; I can’t be distracted right now.” Derek laughed letting the hem his shirt go and opened up the car door.

“I’m not my fault you’re easy.” Derek chuckled to himself and Stiles stopped just outside his car.

“You take that back.”

“I will when you learn to function properly when you see my abs.” Stiles crossed his arms, he was not impressed. Last time he checked, Derek had made HIM pull over because he couldn’t control himself.

“Well, how about the next you get the urge to kiss me, express some self control, because you might come of a little too easy.” Derek laughed which didn’t impress Stiles one bit.

“Maybe people should have called you Sourwolf instead of Stiles, seems to be more fitting right now.” Stiles poked him harshly in the chest.

“I don’t like you.” Stiles stalked off into the restaurant, leaving Derek laughing as he caught up with Stiles.

They had continued asking each other questions after they pulled back onto the road and Stiles was surprised at how willing Derek was to answer all his questions, not that he had much trouble before, but the game had just morphed into Stiles asking endless amounts of questions with Derek sneaking in a few every now and then.

Just because Stiles was an ass and decided to continued the sexual questioning. He had asked Derek what turned him on and to Stiles’ delight he found out that Derek liked being in control and liked to talk dirty. Stiles couldn’t help but flashback to the wet dream he had of him and Derek and how scarily accurate it seemed which really didn’t bother Stiles because he found it extremely hot.

Stiles then asked him if he was a boxers or briefs guy and Stiles got boxer briefs which made him happy because he heard that men who wore boxers tended to smell badly downstairs faster than men who didn’t. Plus briefs themselves could potentially be hot, but Stiles always associated them with the underwear he wore as a kid. He never wanted to combine those two things.

Just out of curiosity Stiles asked Derek if liked PDA, which to Stiles’ surprise Derek did. Not that they’d be able to show it, at least while they were in town. Derek said he wasn’t into heavy petting or making out in front of people, but he didn’t mind kisses and hand holding, the innocent stuff. Stiles found himself agreeing, it seemed different when you had a person to do these things with. When Stiles was single (although he keeps reminding himself he technically still is) he thought it was annoying that couples did that stuff, it was like they flaunted what they had but now Stiles didn’t see it that way. It was more of just showing the other person affection in a simple way and Stiles couldn’t help but fall in love with the idea of holding Derek’s hand as they’d walk through a park together or across a beach.

Once they got seated Stiles started flipping through the menu until he found exactly what he wanted: curly fries. Curly fries had been his favourite food since he was a child. His mother brought him to this restaurant outside of Beacon Hills; the name was Minnie’s Diner. It had long since closed down but its where Stiles tried curly fries for the first time and it’s what started the most unhealthy addiction he has ever had.

“Know what you’re going to get?” Derek asked and Stiles pondered whether he should give him the silent treatment or not. As a joke of course, he wasn’t actually upset with Derek and he liked him way more than he should for the time that he knew him. It couldn’t hurt to have Derek suck up to him a little.

Stiles shrugged his shoulders and Derek rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Stiles I was only kidding.” Stiles knew that but he was getting too much enjoyment from Derek pleading at him. Stiles shrugged his shoulders again and Derek just huffed.

“Are you guys ready to order?” A blonde waitress came up to their table and Derek nodded, looking at Stiles who motioned to that he was ready to order too. Derek ordered probably the greasiest burger on the menu with a side of fries. Stiles wasn’t any better with the largest curly fries they had possible. After the waitress took their orders she was off to put their orders in, not before she gave Derek the most obvious once over Stiles has ever seen.

“I’m surprised you didn’t order a salad with a side of celery or something” Derek teased and Stiles couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face.

“I knew you were bluffing.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

“The waitress just undressed you with her eyes.” Derek nodded.

“I know. It happens often.” Normally Stiles would think that someone saying this would be pretty vain but not so much with Derek. Derek must know he is attractive but Stiles never detected that Derek let’s it go to his head, not even once. Stiles guessed it was just one of those things that you become accustom too, having people look at you like you’re a piece of meat. Not that Stiles could say much, with the way he looked at Derek most times.

“Must be hard.” Stiles smirked.

“I have a question for you,” Derek changed the subject.

“If you had to pick one food to eat for the next six months, what would it be?” Stiles didn’t need to even think about it.

“Curly fries.”

“Why is that?” Derek asked, giving Stiles the eyebrow like he was expecting a different answer, probably something healthy.

“Curly fries are just perfection, there are no other reasons.” Derek chuckled.

“I’ve never had them before.” Stiles’ jaw almost hit the table.

“Well, be prepared because you are going to try them today and you’ll never be the same after. I can’t believe you have never had curly fries before, did you grow up under a rock?” Stiles was pretty sure this was unheard of, running into someone who has never had curly fries before.

“Okay guys, I have your drinks for you.” Stiles thought it was about time, he knew he was going to hate her on impulse now, not going to bother trying to hide it.

“Thank you.” Derek said politely and Stiles watched the waitress, as if in slow motion touch the back of Derek’s forearm.

“No problem, sweetheart. Just give me a call if you need anything, anything at all.” Derek nodded and smiled as the waitress started to walk away.

“That slut!” Stiles gasped.

“Why doesn’t she just take off her shirt and ask you to come out back.” Derek’s eye went wide eyed.

“Stiles! She was just being nice, she is harmless.” Stiles knew better, he watched people all the time. Not in the creepy, outside your window with binoculars watching, but he casually observed people and his surroundings with mild interest. Needless to say he got really good at reading body language, just people in general and she was totally hot for Derek and Stiles wasn’t going to stand for it.

“Wait, you’re totally jealous.” Stiles huffed, he knew he was but Derek was his, at least at the moment and people needed to back up. Why couldn’t the waitress just be friendly instead of being friendly and flirty? There was zero need to be both.

“That is beside the point; she needs to learn some boundaries. You don’t go feeling up peoples arm whenever you feel like it.” Derek was laughing and shaking his head.

“You have no idea how cute you are right now.” Stiles opened his mouth to respond until he actually registered what Derek had said. Then the blush set in and Stiles started to get flustered. Derek reached over and grabbed Stiles’ hand.

“Trust me when I say this, I only have eyes for you. That waitress has got nothing on you.” Stiles nodded dumbly.

“Damn straight.” He squeaked out, completely flustered and a little embarrassed now that he thought on it. He was overreacting just a little.

Their food came shortly after that, Stiles was surprised at how fast the service was but he guessed it had to do with the fact that they came mid-afternoon and not during the lunch or supper rushes. Derek’s burger was probably the greasiest thing he had seen in a while, so of course it looked delicious. Stiles got the biggest plate of curly fries he had ever seen, so Stiles was pretty smitten with himself.

“Here, eat one.” Stiles used his hand a picked up a curly fry offering it to Derek.

“I don’t know Stiles, I’m not one for being fed.” Stiles rolled his eyes, shaking the fry.

“You don’t have to eat it from my hand, you can take it and try it. There is no way you can be seen with me and never experienced the deliciousness that is curly fries.” Derek laughed and Stiles noticed a glint in Derek’s eyes, a playful one. Derek lean forward, closer to Stiles hand, opened his mouth and ate the fry. Stiles becoming extremely self aware, realized that he had just fed Derek in public and started to blush, hoping that no one was watching them.

“Delicious.” Derek said.

“I think the fact that you fed it to me made it just that much tastier” Derek commented, using his index finger and thumb giving the gesture of something small.

“I can’t tell if your being sarcastic or not.” Stiles said. He really couldn’t, it seem genuine enough but it was just another example of how bad he was at reading Derek compared to the rest of humanity.

“I was being honest, here, give me another one.” Derek learned forward opening his mouth and Stiles couldn’t help but laugh. He grabbed a fry from his plate and placed it into Derek’s mouth.

“I think you might like getting fed.” Stiles said as Derek chew his food graciously.

“Maybe? Only if you’re the one doing it.” Derek winked.

The rest of the meal went by quietly after that, Stiles spent most of it stealing glances at Derek who was doing the same to Stiles. At one point they both had caught each other and just started laughing.

“I see you guys have cleaned those up nicely.” The waitress came back smiling at Derek, not really looking at Stiles. Stiles tried his hardest to let it roll off his shoulders, feeling the jealousy hitting him like a wave.

“We sure did!” Stiles beamed obnoxiously, making the waitress glance at him, smiling curtly.

“We’ll take the check now.” Derek said politely giving Stiles a look telling him to calm down.

“Seriously, Stiles?” Derek asked and Stiles automatically felt guilty.

“I’m sorry okay. I just saw green and she was being rude, acting like I wasn’t even here.” Derek sighed before breaking out into a smile.

“I’m going to have my hands full with you, I can tell.” Stiles grinned.

“It’s not worth it, if it’s going to be easy.” That’s when Stiles saw it, something that made his heart skip and stomach knot up. The look in Derek’s eyes, the affection that shown through. No one had ever looked at him the way Derek was looking at him that very moment.

Stiles thought that if these eyes, these forest green eyes were the ones he’d look at for the rest of his life, he would be okay with that. He’d seen the same look before, numerous of times, while his mother was still alive and every time his father would mention her. Stiles had always wished he could find someone who he could look at like that, with so much love and affection.

To be the one on the opposite side of that gaze, Stiles knew.

Stiles knew he was falling.

Hard.

He was falling in love with Derek Hale, his teacher but what was scarier was that he didn’t care to stop himself. ‘Cause he knew, the man sitting across from him was falling just as hard as he was.

* * *

Sunset was fast approaching and Derek had told him they were getting really close to the turn off. Stiles had let Derek to drive the Jeep the rest of the way from the restaurant so he could relax a little, plus he knew Derek was getting antsy from sitting down and not doing much most of the drive besides talk.

Derek had floored Stiles as they were leaving the restaurant. The waitress had come back with the receipt all folded and pretty-like. Stiles battled him for the bill, but Derek said he was paying for the meals and the room they’ll be getting later, considering it was his idea.  Stiles protested but knew it was a losing battle. When Derek opened up the bill it had a wink face drawn across it with the waitresses number written and the words ‘call me’ in loopy handwriting. It took Stiles all his self control too not go and tackle her to the ground or pee on Derek, telling her that Derek was his.

Derek had thrown the money on the table, plus a tip that Stiles knew she didn’t deserve, but got anyways. Before they reached the door, Derek walked up to the waitress and handed her back the receipt.

“I’m very flatter, but I’m already taken.” Derek said and then turned around back over to Stiles, taking Stiles’ hand into his and walked out of the restaurant with their hands interlaced. Stiles was so speechless that he couldn’t even summon the words to tell Derek how awesome he was. Derek had kissed him on the cheek before grabbing Stiles’ keys and hoping into the driver’s seat.

The second part of the drive was silent compared to the first, they exchanged a few words here and there and comments, especially about the back seat of some girl that zoomed right by them. It was filled with so much garbage Stiles couldn’t even imagine the smell.

“What makes this place so special?” Stiles asked. The vagueness of Derek about this place was going to drive Stiles crazy; he hated not being prepared for things.

“My parents, while they were still alive, would take me and Laura out of school and just drive. They cared about our marks and all that, but they were more free spirited people. They didn’t believe in limits, they didn’t like the routine that school had often caused. Once in a while, usually like once a month they would take us out of school and we would just drive, drive onto the highway and go in any direction we desired. She said that these random adventures would give us clarity and perspective, keeping us sane from all of the routines of everyday life.” Stiles agreed and wished his parents were all about that. Since Stiles had ADHD, his parents tried to keep him in a routine as much as possible, thinking that the repetitiveness of it all would help Stiles concentrate, but a lot of the time it made Stiles worse, because all he wanted to do was break free.

“This one particular trip we decided to make it two days, so we left on a Friday. We decided to drive up until just about sunset and find the first place we could see the sunset from. We found this.” Derek turned onto a pathway which led to one of the prettiest ocean views Stiles had ever seen.

It was small. Just this little patch of grass that lead to a wider opening filled with fine white sand, then to the bluest water Stiles had ever seen. Looking out into the horizon the sun was setting, a bright orange semi-circle surrounded by yellow blending into darker shades of orange and red. Pink and purple bled into the beginnings of the dark blue night sky.

Stiles hopped out of the passenger side door and headed straight for the water, Derek not too close behind. Stiles walked right up to the beach, where the tide rushed over the sand, kissing the land.

“It’s so beautiful.” Stiles managed to say. It was the first time he ever really watched the sunset, a real sunset looking out at the ocean.

“It is. It was the first time I’d ever seen a sunset looking out into the ocean, at the time I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” Derek sighed, bringing Stiles closer, wrapping his arm around Stiles’ waist.

“What could be more beautiful than this” Stiles motioned towards the sun, which was now almost completely set, out of sight. Stiles looked up at Derek and saw his gaze shift away from him.

“Oh, come on, you’re not going to be that cheesy.” Derek just laughed and Stiles joined him, tucking himself into Derek’s warmth by wrapping his arms around the older man.

“What if it’s the truth?” Derek asks.

“Then I have to question your taste.” Stiles sighed into Derek chest, Stiles still almost couldn’t believe that he was in the arms of this man, who was way out of his league.

“Stiles,” Derek started in a serious tone.

“You have no idea how beautiful you are.”

Stiles didn’t know how to respond.

“I know I am young but I can easily say I have come across a lot of people. Some bad, some good and I can honestly say that beauty is only skin deep, cliché or not. I’m not saying that you’re just beautiful on the inside, because despite what I think, you are a very attractive person, but you’re also so much more than a nice face, Stiles.”

Stiles could feel his face grow hot and he buried his face deeper into Derek’s chest, feeling a pressure building behind his eyes.

“Why me?” Stiles asked. Why him, some socially awkward teenager that nobody really notices?

“You’re funny.” Derek stated and he could almost see the grin on the older man’s face.

“You’re smart, smarter than me when I was your age. You’re kind and you’re selfless, always putting people ahead of yourself, making sure they are safe and healthy. You seem to have this ability to draw people in and make them feel welcome. I’ve never told anyone about this place, but I wanted to show you.” Stiles lifted himself off of Derek’s chest, feeling like he needed to see Derek face during this, no matter how many emotions he was channelling and trying to control.

“I don’t let people in Stiles. I never really have. I guess it’s because I’m afraid to lose them? I keep them at an arm’s length away, never let them fully in because I am always too afraid to go there. With you, it just happened, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It happened before I could even think about it and I’m left in this sort of awe at what I just did.” Derek took a step back, looking Stiles directly it the eyes.

“It’s because you do this.” He grabbed Stiles’ hand and placed it over his heart. Stiles felt the rapid thump of his heartbeat, even over his shirt and jacket.

“You do and make me feel things I’ve never experience before in my life. It’s not just your handsome face, Stiles, that can do this. It’s you, all of you. Anything that can make me feel this way can’t be anything less than beautiful.” Derek had cupped Stiles forcing him to look directly into those intense green eyes that almost look haunted with the fading sunlight.

“Derek …” Was all he could say before his lips crashed against Derek’s. Stiles wanted to tell Derek that he felt the same way but didn’t have the words, probably wouldn’t have been able to say the words even if he tried. Stiles let all his emotion pour into the kiss, making it more passionate every second.

“I want this; whatever this is, I want it.” Stiles broke away abruptly, breathless.

“I don’t care about the consequences, this—this feels so good and so right. I don’t want to look back and think that I never tried, that we never explored this, when everything that we’re feeling is telling us too.” Stiles felt like he seemed a little desperate trying to explain to Derek what he wanted, but the smile on Derek’s lips told him it didn’t matter.

“I want this too.” Derek sealed it with another kiss and Stiles realized something that made his stomach knot up even more.

He didn’t just want this.

Stiles needed this.


	8. Sourwolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is going to be a long one. First off I am so unbelievably sorry for the time it took me to get this updated, you guys have no idea. Truthfully I've had it written for the longest time-on paper, but I've been so busy, I never had time to actually type it up. School has been the most demanding its ever been. I fear the 10 to 15 page paper I have due on Monday, too bad I just couldn't submit a chapter of this story, that would be awesome.
> 
> I also want to thank all my readers for their support and their awesomeness. You guys have no idea how much focus and happiness you give me. You guys make me want to finish and continue writing this story. Especially when I hit a block (which, I am sadly currently experiencing), I just love going through the reviews and the comments, helps me hammer through it.
> 
> Before I start on what I got to say about this chapter I just want to say that I am looking for a beta reader. The one I currently have, from my knowledge hasn't been feeling the best and seems to be busy with life (as well all are and completely understand). It's one of the reasons why this chapter took so long to post and why it is also unedited, so I apologize for the ways I have undoubtedly ruined the English language with my grammar. But to anyone who is interested, know that they will probably be long chapters and that I suck with grammar. If you are interested, please leave me comment or an inbox message through Tumblr. My URL is MrHaleStilinksi.
> 
> Now for this chapter, I am extremely nervous about it. It is different from the last chapter and the other chapters, as you will see. This is also where the story kind of starts to pick up. To date I have been kind of just letting it flow with no direction really, but now I feel like now is the time to hammer down the details and start working towards an end. Hopefully you guys will start to pick up on some complications that begin to arise and that you don't hate me when you finish the chapter.
> 
> That's all I think! Enjoy! :)

  
Chapter 8: Sourwolf

_Derek_

Derek couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. Stiles had agreed to date him, he was dating Stiles Stilinski. If Derek wasn’t the luckiest guy in the world right now he didn’t know who was. He had an official licence to kiss Stiles whenever he wanted. That alone was enough to keep the smile on his face.

“Thank you.” Stiles said. They were driving back from the beach, the sun had long set and Derek was trying to get as far as he could before he got too tired. Derek looked down at his hand, interlaced with Stiles, enjoying the swell in his chest.

“For what?” Derek asked and Stiles just shrugged in response.

“For this, taking me to this place and taking me away from everything. I never knew how much I needed it.” Derek felt a warmth curl inside him. He had needed it too, he needed a break from the stresses of his job, and the amount of work he had sitting on his office desk at home. He needed this day with Stiles. He needed to show that he wasn’t just some hot teacher fantasy, but just a normal guy, a normal guy who was falling in love with the man he had his fingers laced with.

“I think we both did.” Derek said, squeezing Stiles’ hand gently, earning a grin from the younger man.

Derek pulled the Jeep into the parking lot of a motel close to midnight. Stiles had fallen asleep about an hour ago and Derek didn’t have the heart to wake him. Derek knew the emotional rollercoaster Stiles had been on over the past twenty four hours, so he left the younger man in the Jeep and went to go pay for the room.

Derek was experiencing a dilemma walking to the receptionist’s desk, he wasn’t sure if he should get one bed or two. He knew he wanted to get one bed, because last night was the best night’s sleep he had in a long time. Plus, waking up to Stiles again is something he wishes he could experience every morning. He just wasn’t sure if Stiles would be comfortable with sharing a bed again. He’d like to think he would be, but last night was a completely different situation. Stiles needed the comfort that Derek offered him, he didn’t need it now and Derek didn’t want to make Stiles uncomfortable. Derek ended up deciding on two double beds, giving Stiles a choice of his own bed, but if he wanted to share, it was big enough for both of them.

Getting the room key and number Derek headed back to the Jeep where Stiles was still sound asleep. He considered for a moment picking the boy in his arms and bringing him to the room. He then remembered he’d have to carry his and Stiles’ bags and attempting to carry it all would be a bad idea. Derek opened the passenger side door and shook Stiles gently. The man slowly opened his amber eyes and smiled lazily at Derek.

“I was just dreaming about you.” Stiles yawned, winking up at Derek.

“Oh yeah?” Derek questioned, rolling his eyes affectionally.

“It was a really crazy dream.” The younger man’s grin immediately made Derek’s lips curl upwards.

“There was this really attractive man,” Stiles continued.

“He had agreed to start seeing this scrawny mess.” Stiles gestured towards himself. Derek shook his head laughing and reached in the back seat to get both of their bags.

“Did you ever stop to think that the man feels the exact same way, having that scrawny mess give him a chance.” Stiles beamed up at Derek.

“C’mon I got us a room.” Derek said, motioning for Stiles to follow him.

When they got to the room and opened the door Derek didn’t miss the look of sadness momentarily wash over Stiles’ face, knowing it had to do with the second bed in the room. Derek saw Stiles walk over to the bed closest to the bathroom, flopping down face first on the bed. Derek sighed, taking the other one, laying his bag on it.

“We should get some sleep, got a few hours left to drive tomorrow.” Derek rooted for a shirt to wear to bed, he normally slept in his underwear, but he didn’t trust that these sheets were actually clean. Derek started to take off his dirty clothes from the day and couldn’t help but be aware of Stiles’ eyes on him. He looked at the young man, seeing his eyes widen being caught staring. Derek chuckled as he watched the boys cheeks flush.

“See something you like?” Derek raised an eyebrow, trying to make the blush worse.

“I see a lot of things I like.” The boy muttered, finally stripping off his hoodie and pants, throwing them on the floor and pulling the covers over his head.

Derek grinned, watching Stiles demonstrate some self preservation by having to look away from him.

Derek couldn’t wait to see how different it was. He never had a steady thing with a man before, a one night stand once, but he was never given the chance to get to know another man in a more intimate way. He couldn’t think of a better person to learn together with. He wanted to get to know Stiles’ body, he wanted to show and teach Stiles. What felt good and what drove Stiles crazy. He wanted to know Stiles so well he could watch the younger man fall apart under his touch, he wanted Stiles to make him fall apart under his touch.

Derek turned out the lights and crawled into bed. He couldn’t help but think about Kate. She was the only one he could really compare what it was like with. Not Derek wanted to compare Stiles to Kate, because Kate had nothing on Stiles, but in terms of what it all felt like, everything was different.

Kate was a selfish lover. Looking back on his entire relationship, Kate was a selfish with everything. It was always about her, her wants and needs; looking back Derek couldn’t help feeling ashamed of himself. How he let someone treat him like that. It wasn’t like he was aware of it though, it took catching her with another man to get him to really reflect on what was happening. It was then, when he realized how much of himself he had lost, to be with her. At the time it was what he wanted, he thought making her happy was what he wanted, and making her happy had made him happy. It had stung when it dawned on him that a relationship shouldn’t be one sided, that there should be reciprocation. Derek was doing more than his share to make Kate happy, but she never saw it within herself to make sure he was. It was hard coming to terms with the fact he was plain and simple taken advantage of.

“Derek?” Stiles voices broke Derek’s train of thought. Derek hummed in response not completely out of his head.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?” This broke Derek from his thoughts, he grinned, already knowing where this was going.

“I haven’t tried yet.” Derek said and Stiles sighed. Derek couldn’t help the chuckled escaping from his lips, wondering of the younger man had the guts to ask.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have taken that nap?” Derek said and Stiles grunted in response.

There were a few moments of pure silence; Derek had almost thought Stiles had actually fallen asleep, until he heard him click his tongue, like he was giving something serious thought. Then all of a sudden he heard the man’s sheets being thrown back and a paddle of feet towards Derek’s bed. Derek could barely contain his smile when he felt the bed dip down.

“Is this okay?” Stiles asked and Derek grabbed him, pulling him under the covers against him.

“More than okay,” Derek pressed Stiles’ back against his chest. Derek buried his face in the crook of Stiles’ neck breathing in the younger man’s scent.

“Goodnight Stiles.” Derek nuzzled.

“Goodnight Derek.” The younger man mumbled out, his breathing quickly slowed and evened out.

* * *

They were back on the road after breakfast. Derek sadly had papers to grade so he couldn’t spend all day with Stiles and needed to get back to his life.

If there was one thing Derek could get used to, it would be waking up to Stiles. Derek had fallen asleep with Stiles pressed up against his chest, his arm lazily hung off Stiles’ hip and that is exactly how he woke up. He woke up in the exact same position, he was pretty sure he was never slept so well in his life.

They had pulled into the gas station just outside Beacon Hills around noon so Derek could fill up Stiles’ Jeep. The ride was silent, but not awkward like one would think. It was a comfortable silence, just both men being content with being around each other, no words necessary. Getting out of the car Derek told Stiles to fill up the tank while he went into the gas station and paid.

“Dude, you have to stop spending money on me.” Derek waved him off, not wanting to get into this argument again. This trip was his idea, plus he knew Stiles was a student and couldn’t have afforded this trip. It wasn’t like Derek was short on funds by any means.

Derek went into the lineup at the counter in the gas station. He sighed, Derek hated lineups, it was one of few things he didn’t have patience for, and he hated awkwardly standing there, especially when people started to have a conversation with you. Derek looked out the window at the young man pumping gas into the Jeep, biting his lip looking at the meter. Derek watched Stiles finish up and put the pump where it was supposed to go, he looked up and caught Derek’s gaze. Stiles winked at him and Derek felt a flush on his cheeks. He watched the boy laugh getting back into the Jeep and Derek became overtly aware of his surroundings in that moment.

“The gas for the blue Jeep,” Derek told the cashier at the counter when he reached the front of the line. Derek paid for the gas and bar of Stiles’ favourite chocolate, which he was glad he guessed right when he bought Stiles his Sourwolf. Derek had found it adorable how Stiles had cuddled the thing the entire way back to Beacon Hills, he may have teased him a little about it.

Derek rooted in place when turned around and bumped into person standing behind him. Lydia Martin was staring up at Derek with one of her eyebrows raised, the same look in her eyes as she had that day in the cafeteria. It was calculating, but curious and made Derek feel like the girl saw right through him.

“Miss Martin.” Derek nodded towards the girl and watched as she stared at him intently for a few moments, making the hair on his neck stand on end. She finally gave him a curt nod, Derek not missing the slightly upward turn of her lips before he walked out of the gas station.

Derek bee-lined towards the side of the gas station, out of the view of the windows at the lineup. He motioned Stiles to follow him to the side of the building. Derek’s heart was pounding in his chest. He wasn’t sure what the girl had heard him say or seen who he was looking at, but with the look she was giving him, she knew. Derek had no doubts.

Derek hopped into the passenger side of the Jeep, telling Stiles it was okay to go. Derek looked for the girl as they pulled out, but there was no sign of her.

“What’s wrong Derek? You’re worrying me.” Stiles reached between them lacing his fingers with Derek’s.

“I think Lydia saw us.” Derek felt Stiles freeze.

“Are you sure?” Stiles asked his voice tense.

“I can’t be sure. She might have overheard me paying for your gas. I didn’t see her when we pulled out of the parking lot, but the look she gave me. It was like she was looking through me, she is so unnerving. How do you deal with that?” Derek shivered and Stiles laughed loudly. Derek looked over at the boy like he was crazy, wondering how this situation could be funny, at all. Derek was on his way to freaking out because he really enjoyed his job and didn’t want to lose it.

“I’m sorry, that’s how Lydia is.” Stiles wipes the tears starting to build up in the corner of his eyes from laughing. Stiles pulled up in front of Derek house and turned off the Jeep, twisting his body so he was facing Derek.

“You have nothing to worry about.” Derek closed his eyes and sighed. He felt Stiles reassuringly rub his arm. Derek felt something in him calm down, even though he felt like he should be the complete opposite, something about the young man and his touch soothed Derek. He was going to add it to the list of ways Stiles affects him, if he could ever find the bottom of it.

“I’ll keep an eye on it either way. If she does know, she won’t be long approaching me about it.” Derek nodded, reaching out and touching Stiles’ cheek.

“You’re great, you know that? How did I get so lucky?” Derek smiled and Stiles placed his hand over Derek’s.

“I’m just irresistible.” Stilinski charm Derek thought, he was hopeless to begin with.

“We need to be more careful.” Derek said, freeing his hand for Stiles touch.

“If we are actually going to do this and take it seriously we got to be more careful. I know it sucks, but we knew what this was going to be like, when we considered it.” Stiles nodded in agreement.

“I know it’s got to be a secret. Next time you should listen to me and let me buy my own gas next time.” Derek sighed knowing that Stiles was right, he was going to have to be more careful, even when doing nice things for Stiles.

“I didn’t mean to worry you though, next time I will listen to you wisdom.” Derek cracked a smile and Stiles grinned, bringing his hand to stroke Derek’s stubbled cheek.

“I’m not worried; you are. You just got to relax. We got to see if this goes anywhere first.” Derek felt like he already knew where this was going, he just hoped what he felt actually came true; it felt too good not too.

“I feel like I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around.” Derek said, relaxing into the warmth of Stiles’ hand.

“We’re in this together now. We comfort each other.” Derek knew Stiles had no idea what those words meant to him, how he seemed to know exactly what to say. Derek knew it was going to be different, it had to be.

Maybe this is what it felt like, knowing that someone cares about you as much as you do them.

* * *

Derek reluctantly said his goodbyes to Stiles and climbed up the stairs to his house. Laura was waiting for him when he came through the door.

“You have to tell me everything that happened!” She grabbed his arm and dragged him immediately to the living room, pushing him on to the sofa.

“Start with the dirty details first!” Derek just laughed and gave Laura a look that said, ‘I have been waiting long enough’.

“There wasn’t any. We kissed and shared a bed; completely PG. Stiles is a respectable man.” Laura pouted.

“Are you implying you are the one with least amount of respect?” Laura laughed, punching him in the arm.

“I want to say no, but if he wanted it, likely was truly ready and wanted it I probably would have gone there.” Derek felt like he was a little easy after saying that, but Stiles didn’t know how he affected Derek.

Derek felt like he was going through puberty again. He didn’t understand how this constant urge, this constant consuming attraction was even possible. How he ever dealt with it before, he doesn’t know, but he is giving the younger version of himself props.

“But you are a respectable human, so tell me the boring stuff.” Derek rolled his eyes at his sister. He knew Laura was just as interested in the boring stuff as she was the dirty stuff, probably more so. He’d been waiting for the day to tell Laura he knew about the hidden shelf of romance novels in her closet. He can’t wait to see the look on her face when he tells her that he know she is a closeted romantic, literally.

“We went to the beach, as you know.” Laura was surprised to hear about when Derek had called to tell her the day before. He had mainly called to ask her if she was okay with it. It had as much meaning to her as it did to him and he wanted to make sure she was comfortable with Derek taking Stiles there. She of course was okay with it, but had asked if Derek was sure and he was.

“I told him I thought he was beautiful.” Derek told her that it was one of the most intense things he has experienced. He said that it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, that the sun setting had made Stiles seem like he was glowing, eyes bright, almost burning in a way. Derek told her he never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his entire life.

“He told me he wanted it too. He said it felt too right, that even though it could end badly, he didn’t want to look back and regret never trying.” Laura was grinning wildly, hugging a pillow cushion to her chest, trying to bury he face in it. She was clearly swooning.

“You guys are so sweet it’s sickening.” Derek knew it was true, Stiles was turning him into the biggest romantic in the world. He just felt like he wanted to do it right with Stiles and he had to make sure all the little moments had meaning. Derek felt like people shouldn’t only remember the big moments but the little ones, because they usually have the most meaning.

“I think I’m already a little into deep.” Derek blushed, hoping Laura never caught it. He was already resisting the urge to check his phone to see if Stiles had already left him a message.

“I’ve never seen you like this Derek; you’ve put me in a state of shock almost. I’m at a loss for words. What is the guy doing to you?” Derek couldn’t agree with her more, he didn’t know what Stiles was doing to him and he didn’t want him to stop.

“I know it’s just—so different from Kate. What I am feeling, physically and emotionally, just everything. I thought I loved Kate, but now I am not so sure. Whatever this is, I’ve never felt anything like this before. With Kate, I’d always approach this level, but something always stopped me from going too deep. I always thought it was because of what happened to mom and dad. Now I’m not so sure.” Laura gave Derek a confused look.

“How so?”

“It’s just so easy with him. I tell him all these things about myself—personal and private things, it all just seems to flow out of me. With Kate there was always this barrier, this hesitation I always got smacked with. I always felt like I was never offering enough of myself to her, because I couldn’t. I guess that’s why I tried so hard to please her any other way I could. I lacked in that way, so I felt like I needed to make it up to her. She never really cared to begin with either way.” Laura nodded. She had seen it that time she met Kate. That was the vast majority of what they had argued about after that weekend. She had told Derek that he was losing himself. That he was spending all this time trying to please this woman, who she could see cared less.

“What does it have to do with mom and dad though?”Derek sighed, he wasn’t really sure himself, emotions were something Derek sometimes never understood. It took a lot of thought until a realization or something dawned on him, making him realize whatever it was that he was feeling.

“I always thought my inability to allow myself to get closer to people stemmed from them. Just not wanting to go there, care about another person so much and just lose them, like we did mom and dad. I accepted that I couldn’t give her what I wanted too and tried to make it up other ways. I know you understand where I am coming from.” Laura nodded, giving Derek a sad smile. Laura’s track list with men was a long one. It wasn’t like she slept around, but she did date a lot, nothing ever seemed to go anywhere though.

“With Stiles, I don’t care, I don’t even hesitate before it all comes spilling out of me. It just made me wonder what was different?” Laura snorted.

“Do you seriously want me to make a list comparing Stiles and Kate?” Derek laughed and shook his head. If Laura saw Kate at her funeral, that would be too soon.

“Do you know what I mean though? It all just makes me think, why him? Why does he get through, but no one else?” Laura shrugged, indicating she had no clue.

“Maybe he is just the one.” Derek smiled at the idea.

“I hope.”

* * *

Two week had passed since that weekend and Derek had never been happier, things were going great between Stiles and himself, even better than great. Everything else just seemed to fall into place. Things were pretty uneventful outside of their relationship. Derek had been worried about Lydia, afraid that she knew but according to Stiles, she wasn’t acting any weirder than normal; she hadn’t approached him at least.

The relationship between Stiles and Scott was extremely strained to say the least.  Derek could tell the toll it was taking on his boyfriend’s well being. He’d never admit it, but Derek knew Stiles missed Scott. How could you not? Having someone in your life for that long and then have them completely cut away. According to Stiles they hadn’t spoken since that night, but he was talking to others, which was Derek was glad to see. Stiles seemed to become really good friends with Danny Mahealani, Derek always seeing them together at lunch times chatting excitedly. He’d also befriended Erica Reyes; a girl that was in one of Derek’s other writing classes.

Derek couldn’t help but feel a little possessive over Stiles, a tad bit jealous that he couldn’t interact with Stiles like Danny could during school hours. Derek knew it was only his insecurities irrationally presenting himself and decided the best was to grin and bare it. Stiles was bound to make friends his age, even if those friends so happened to be gay as well. Derek would always huff when he would see them together, instantly in a bad mood seeing them together, but then he would get a text from Stiles as soon as he reach the teachers’ lounge or his classroom. They’d range from Stiles saying he had a cute butt to being the handsomest prince in all the land. One time he’d told him about how Danny asked Stiles if he thought ‘Mr. Hale’ was hot and that he’d totally get with that. This had made Derek laugh, knowing Stiles himself had struggled to not tell Danny to back off his man.

The children’s story assignment had been turned in a week ago and Stiles grades had been made up, so Derek felt like there was no need for them to have their lunch time sessions. Stiles has been upset about that, not liking that their time together during school had been cut back, but as Derek informed Stiles, he was still his teacher and that’s the role he played during school hours.

Outside of school however, Stiles and Derek saw a lot of each other, more so then Derek ever thought they would. On days that Stiles wasn’t hanging out with Danny, Erica or had Lacrosse practice Stiles was over at Derek’s. Most times they would watch a movie and Derek would get Laura to cook them food. They were always quiet nights and Derek was happy that Stiles enjoyed them as much as he did. Derek felt guilty sometimes about not being able to take him to movies or dinner, at least not yet, but Stiles acted like it didn’t even matter. It seemed like he was just happy that he got to spend time with Derek.

Derek was glad that they had spent a fair bit of time together, but was also glad that there was the separation they had. It made seeing Stiles just that much better, having and holding him always seemed to be this new experience. Something that Derek would never get used to and enjoyed every minute of it.

Sexually Derek and Stiles had a strictly above waist policy. The amount of blue balls Derek is suffering from was enough to cripple a man, but in the long run it was worth it. Derek had learned that Stiles has a sensitive spot behind his ears and loved it when Derek bit and sucked on his bottom lip. Stiles discovered Derek’s extremely sensitive nipples and teased him relentlessly. He had noticed Stiles get braver as they went on. They had made out on the couch the previous night and Stiles had dipped his underneath the waist of Derek’s jeans, toying with the waist band of his boxer briefs. Derek didn’t want to rush Stiles or make him do anything he wasn’t comfortable with. When they started to get more intense with all the kissing and touching Derek told Stiles to stop him if he went too far. He also told Stiles that he shouldn’t be afraid to explore and he was glad Stiles was willing, slowly moving past his nervousness.

Derek was in class waiting for his students to arrive after their lunch break. He had a big class planned today and he was hoping that it went well, that Stiles never got to upset with him.

“Hey handsome!” Stiles ears must have been burning, being the first one in the class to great Derek.

“Hey yourself.” Derek grinned, resisting the urge to walk over and kiss Stiles.

“Got anything exciting for us planned today?” Derek watched Stiles walk down to his seat, more like he watched the younger man’s ass as it moved down towards his seat.

“Actually, I’m glad you arrive early because I was hoping to clear something with you before class starts.” Stiles raised his eyebrow, giving Derek a weird look.

“I’m handing back the children’s stories today and I want to know if you were okay with me reading yours to the class, completely anonymous of course.” Stiles grinned.

“It was that good huh?” Derek rolled his eyes.

“It was and I wanted to share it.” Stiles nodded and took his seat.

“I’m cool with it; I’ll just try not to get hot thinking about you reading my material in front of everyone.” Derek never got a chance to respond because a few students took this opportune time to walk through the door. Derek tried to ignore the look smugness on Stiles’ face, but he couldn’t.

Taking out his phone, he texted Stiles, _You won’t have that look on your face when you’re begging me to take you in my mouth when I’m mouthing your cock through your underwear._ Derek was completely satisfied with the completely shocked look written across Stiles’ face when he read his text. He was even more so when he say him start to shift uncomfortable in his chair. It served him right.

Once the class filed in and the bell had rung, Derek took attendance quickly and informed the class that they were getting their marks back for their children stories.

“I’m going to take this time to share with you one of the stories one of the students from my other classes wrote. It thought it was an interesting perspective on a child’s story and I want it to be the topic of discussion today, a nice way to end this whole assignment before we move on to your research papers.” Derek heard the class audibly grown at the idea of the research papers, but he thought they had it easy. They get to write about something they thought was interesting, but Derek wasn’t so lucky. Having to read a load of papers he’ll probably think are dull and boring.

Derek grabbed Stiles’ story from his desk, being sure to flip the cover page over so no one saw the name and began to read…

_Once upon a time there was a wolf. Not just any kind of a wolf, a werewolf, a Sourwolf. What’s a Sourwolf you ask? A Sourwolf is exactly what this wolf was. He was a mean person, a rude person, a creature that lived completely alone and didn’t want anyone. The town’s people feared and avoided him. He growled at them when they walked by him, even go as far as too threaten with his fangs and claws if someone got too close._

_He wasn’t always like this, once upon a time he was a happy wolf, one that smiled and laughed. That time was gone. That was a time before the Hunters took over the town. That was a time before they destroyed the Sourwolf’s family, leaving him all alone. That’s why he was living in the ruins of his family’s old house because there was no one left. It’s why the Sourwolf didn’t want any new friends; he didn’t want anyone in his life that he was going to lose._

_It was a cloudy day when it all changed. The wind was bitter cold, a bite so harsh it made your skin tingle and felt it deep in your bones. The screams had awoken him, from a deep dreamless sleep. He was up running through the woods within a matter of moments, using his nose to follow the scent of the intruder and his ears to locate where the screams were coming from. These woods were his and even the Hunters knew better to wander into his territory._

_Being a werewolf had blessed the Sourwolf with amazing abilities. Not only could he change into a wolf whenever he wanted but he had a better sense of smell, sight and taste. He had the strength of several men and could run faster than any person alive._

_When the Sourwolf finally came to spot in the woods where the intruder`s scent was the strongest. He had noticed that he couldn`t hear the screaming anymore and for some reason that had worried him, he needed to find the thing that had made the noises. If it was a Hunter he needed to be prepared to defend himself and what was left of his home. The Sourwolf sniffed the air once again, trying his hardest to find where the screams had come from, but that`s when he saw it._

_Red._

_The wolf ran towards it. As he got closer he saw that it was a boy—not a boy but a young man dressed in the red hooded sweater. The man had dark brown hair that was shaved close to his head. He had fair skin with moles that dotted his face and had bright pink lips. The Sourwolf took a step back feeling his breath being taken away. He was aware of how ordinary the young man looked, but something about him made the wolf think he was beautiful._

_The Sourwolf was now faced with a problem. What is he going to do with the man? He could hear the younger man’s heart; hear the sound of him breathing, meaning he was alive and not in any immediate danger. Normally he would just leave people and let them save themselves, just like he always had done. The Sourwolf was having trouble doing this, something was telling him to help the boy, to keep him safe._

_That’s what the Sourwolf decided to do. He reached down and picked the man up and carried him back to the ruins of his home, straight up to his room, laid him on his bed, drawing the blanket over him to keep the boy warm and waited._

_The Sourwolf sat and waited for the man to wake. When he finally did the wolf was surprised at the dark amber eyes that widened up at him._

_“Who are you?” The man yelled pushing himself to the head of the bed and shuffled over to the edge. The Sourwolf scowled at the other man having startled him with his raised voice._

_“Who are you?” The wolf gritted out._

_“You were running through my woods.” The Sourwolf spoke again and heard a gasp. He looked up at the man’s widened eyes._

_“You’re him.” The man whispered. The Sourwolf froze, the human knew him?_

_“You’re the creature that lives in the woods just outside of town. The one everyone is afraid of.” The Sourwolf felt himself become filled with a white hot anger._

_“GET OUT!” He roared and the man flinched but didn’t make a move to run._

_“You know, you’re not as scary as everyone says you are. What’s your name?” The wolf stared at the man in utter disbelief. The man had just asked the wolf his name. The Sourwolf extended his claws, bared his fangs and pointed towards the door._

_“I said leave.” He growled, but the man continued like he never even spoke._

_“My name’s Genim, nice to meet you!” The man grinned and offered his hand to the wolf. Both men stood there for a few moments, the wolf just staring at the hand in front of him._

_The Sourwolf for the first time in a long time was actually stumped. He tried to scare the man away twice and that didn’t work, now he was at a loss at how to get Genim to leave._

_“I’m sorry, if I offended you by calling you a creature. I just don’t know your name.” The wolf looked at Genim, in complete shock; no one had ever apologized to him before._

_“My name …”_

_The wolf paused, surprised at hearing his own voice._

_“My name is Miguel.” Genim grinned at the wolf, a wide toothy grin; the younger mans eyes lighting up hearing the wolf’s real name. The wolf felt tightness across his chest and fluttering in his stomach. He felt his heart start to beat faster and his hands getting sweaty._

_What was the man doing to him?_

_That’s how their unlikely friendship started. Genim remained at the Sourwolf’s home for the rest of that day, just talking. The wolf was in a state of awe at how much one person could speak, he had never heard anyone speak as much as Genim had. The man had talked about everything and nothing at the same time and the wolf found himself hanging on every word._

_When the man had returned home the Sourwolf felt an emptiness he had never felt before. He had yearned for the man, to have his smell. The aroma of cinnamon, maple and the freshness of the woods that filled the wolf’s nose every time Genim was around. He yearned to hear the man’s voice, the sound of his rapid heartbeat and the calming affect it had on him. Then sure enough the next day around noon, the man had come strolling up the old gravel driveway of the wolf’s home and the Sourwolf finally felt himself go completely at ease again._

_It was a few months after their friendship that the wolf had started to notice a change, not only in himself, but his surroundings. He was happier, felt lighter somehow and he knew it was all Genim. He started to care for his surroundings, cleaning up the ruins that he called home. One day, Genim had showed up with a ton of cleaning supplies announcing that if he was going to spend any more time there, what was left of the home needed to be cleaned._

_It was a while before Genim asked him about his family. When he did it was questions about what kind of people they were and stories of the good times that the Sourwolf had with them. The wolf expected Genim to ask what happened, but he never did. Seeing as they spent all their time in the half burned down home it wasn’t hard to guess._

_When Genim asked him to accompany him to a party he was invited the Sourwolf had immediately declined. There was no way he could go into a town that was run by the people that had killed his family, he couldn’t do it. That’s when he had his first argument with Genim._

_If the wolf was being completely honest with himself it was probably the scariest thing he had ever experienced, the thought of losing someone like Genim. When he lost his family it had just happened, in a blink of an eye, but with Genim, he was the one pushing him away. He hadn’t seen Genim look at him like that before or raise his voice. He had smelled different; a flare of something the Sourwolf couldn’t name or place._

_Genim had argued that he was always coming to the Sourwolf, but the wolf would never come to him. The wolf had told him that he never asked Genim to come to him that he, in fact, never asked for Genim to come ever. The Sourwolf will never forget the look of hurt that washed across the man’s face. Genim had left immediately and the Sourwolf hadn’t seen him sense._

_The thing that the Sourwolf neglected to tell Genim was that along with being angry he was also scared and it had taken him a long time to realize that. The forest was his life now and going into town, which was something he avoided unless it was completely necessary. He was afraid of the people most of all, what they would say, what they would do. In the few times he went into town people would stare at him, whispering about him, whispers that felt like screams._

_He missed Genim so much it hurt. The dull ache that was in his chest was getting worse as the days went, even as the hours went on. The man had invaded his life and set up camp in the Sourwolf’s heart, the last place he wanted anyone._

_It’s his feelings for Genim, the guilt he felt for how badly he treated him that had him walking into the party Genim invited him too. He dressed in his nicest leather jacket hoping that he’d blend into the crowd. He knew he never asked for Genim in his life, but he never knew that he needed him in it until he wasn’t there anymore. He knew that Genim had left their friendship up to him, letting the Sourwolf know that is his turn to make the move._

_People of the party began to part letting the Sourwolf walk through. His senses were on overdrive with the amount of attention he was being given. The whispers started, and then it was the looks, the harsh glares or frightened eyes that were sent his way_

_“Miguel.” A voice broke through the madness and the Sourwolf turned to the confused eyes of Genim. The first thing the wolf did was pull Genim into a tight embrace, squeezing him as hard as he could, allowing his scent calm him. It was a moment before Genim was hugging him back, telling him he was okay._

_“I’m sorry.” The wolf whispered and he felt the man nod, rubbing his back attempting to soothe the wolf, letting him know that he was forgiven._

_The party wasn’t as bad as the Sourwolf expected, but it was probably because he had his hand firmly in Genim’s the entire night as he was introduced to all his friends. Genim knew a lot of people, which the wolf expected because how amazing the man was. What surprised the wolf even more is that he had actually liked some of the people Genim had introduced him too. They seemed to brighten up like the Sourwolf did when Genim came around, especially the goofy one._

_It was after that party when the Sourwolf had finally been able to walk the man home. They shared their first kiss. It was simple brush of the lips, but it was like time stood still. The wolf’s heart was pounding in his chest; butterflies were making his stomach twist and knot up._

_After that night the wolf spent more time in the town, of course only when Genim was present. It was a while before the wolf ventured on his own. He still received looks but they seemed to be more curiosity then fear or hatred. It was like the townspeople realized he wasn’t a creature that lived in the woods, but a man, different then what they were; but still someone that needed a person by his side like everyone else._

_It was on one of his solo visits when the Sourwolf found a memorial dedicated to the lives lost in the fire; the one that took his entire family away from him. The wolf’s shell, the one he hide in, completely cracked. He found Genim at his home, he barged in and fell into the man arms and cried. The first time he cried since after his family died, it was the first time he had let it all out. The Sourwolf let out all the pain, all frustration, all the anger and let it wash away from him as Genim held him._

_He had told Genim what happened, that the Hunters had killed his family because they had found out they were werewolves. The Hunters had tricked their way into his family’s lives and they had all died, leaving the Sourwolf completely alone. He said he was too afraid to go back into town, afraid of what the Hunters would do too him._

_The wolf had looked up into Genim’s eyes only to see that he was crying too, Genim told him that seeing someone he loved in so much pain, hurt him in ways he couldn’t explain. Genim told the Sourwolf that he knew everything that had happened. He explained to the wolf that his father was the one to arrest the Hunters for what they had done to his family._

_That the Hunters had never got away with what they had done._

_The city had made that memorial for the memory of all the people who died. How they never wanted to let this town be ruled but such people ever again. Genim continued to explain that the day he found him in the woods; he was out in the woods looking for him, had gotten lost, had fallen and hit his head._

_He told the Sourwolf that the Hunters had taken his mother too and he understood what it was like to have someone ripped away from him. How he walked by the memorial everyday knowing the Sourwolf was out there, that he didn’t know that the Hunters were gone. The Sourwolf asked Genim how he knew he was still out there. Genim said he knew the wolf was out there because on the anniversary of the fire he would hear the howls of pain come from the forest. He got tired of everyone being so afraid to tell the Sourwolf that he wanted to himself._

_Genim said he didn’t expect to fall in love in love with the Sourwolf, but because he did, it made it harder to tell him the truth._

_The Sourwolf didn’t know what to say to the younger man. He knew he should have been mad at Genim for hiding the truth from him, but he wasn’t. He understood that Genim was only trying to avoid the Sourwolf from being in more pain. If situation had been backwards and he was to spare Genim pain, the wolf probably would have done the same thing._

_“I love you.” The wolf said for the first time. He leaned forward and claimed Genim’s lips. The man sighed happily into the kiss and the Sourwolf felt his chest tighten with happiness. If the wolf hadn’t been caught up in his own grief he might have noticed his feelings for the man earlier. The Sourwolf reasoned that some times in life you need people to understand you. To have someone who just understands you and the way you are, because that is what the Sourwolf needed. He needed Genim to open his eyes to the world outside and people around him, that not all of them were bad people, that some were good. He needed Genim to realize that he could love again, that he was able care about someone else without the fear of them beginning taken away._

_The Sourwolf and Genim didn’t live happily ever after._

_They didn’t because they couldn’t. Life isn’t always full of happiness and the Sourwolf knew that. He knew that it beats you down so low you can’t get up, but the only thing you can do it stay strong until you can._

_The Sourwolf and Genim lived their life as happy and they could._

_They had each other._

_That’s all they needed._

* * *

Derek finished reading and looked across the extremely quiet classroom. Derek spared a glance over at Stiles who was flushed with embarrassment and seemed completely nervous to hear what people were going to say.

“Thoughts?” Derek asked, walking over to the front of his desk, taking a seat.

“How was that even a children’s story?” Derek heard Greenberg’s voice come up from the back of the classroom

“I don’t know what you mean?” Derek asked, hoping that Greenberg wasn’t going to refer to what he knew was going to mention, the sexuality of the characters in the story. Derek had no patience when it came to homophobia.

“It was between two fags, not much of a children’s story there, more like a fairy tale if you ask me.” There was giggles from all over the classroom and Derek watched another guy from the Lacrosse team high five Greenberg. Derek let out a heavy sigh, trying not to let his annoyance show through on his face.

“What do two guys being together have anything to do with this?” A woman’s voice cut through the classroom, Derek immediately knew it was Lydia, the fierceness of her voice drew his gaze to where she was sitting. Derek heard Greenberg start to mutter something under his breath.

“What was that? I didn’t quite her anything through your ignorance.” Derek wanted to let the girl continue, he could almost hear the gears churning in her head, but he needed to be the adult, as much as it killed him to be.

“Get out of my classroom Greenberg.” Derek spoke sternly before Lydia had set off. Greenberg swore under his breath, gathered all his belongings and stalked passed Derek towards the door.

“Don’t come back until you apologize to the entire class for you ignorance today.” Greenberg slammed the door like a child having a tantrum. Derek sighed and looked back towards the rest of the class, staring at him in shock. Derek knew that most teachers would have let it slide, trying to ignore the comment by changing the subject. That wasn’t Derek; he never tolerated bullying, even when he went to school here, he wasn’t going to start now.

“That is not to happen in my classroom ever again. I don’t stand for bullying of any kind, especially homophobia. Anyone who exhibits such behaviour,” Derek pointed at the door.

“There is the door.” The classroom was silent; most of the students were avoiding eye contact with Derek.

“I chose to read the story because of how obviously different it is from your typical children’s story. Can anyone tell me why that is?” Derek looked around, most of them seeming to be too afraid to voice their opinions.

“It’s a love story between two men?” Someone spoke up quickly and Derek smiled.

“Yes, that is the most obvious, but we’ll touch on that in a few minutes. Anyone else?” Derek clapped his hands together looking around at his students. A familiar voice cut through the back.

“It’s realistic,” Lydia said, giving Derek a bored look. It reminded Derek so much of his sister it unnerved him a little.

“Do you want to elaborate please?” Derek could have sworn that she rolled her eyes at Derek. He tried his hardest not to smile at that, despite the girl being the cause of his stress these past two weeks he couldn’t help but like the girl, which worried Derek.

“Well, it’s clearly not your average fairytale. It doesn’t have a typical bad guy, just two regular people that had bad things happen to them. It seemed a little intense for your average child, but the feelings were described in simple ways that make them easily understood.” Derek nodded and motioned her to continue.

“There was development; there wasn’t some knight in shining armour that was already in love with princess before they had even met. The people in this story met and slowly fell for each other.”

“What do you think the meaning of the story is?” Derek asked Lydia, knowing the girl understood, but needing her to spell it out in front of the class.

“That life sucks. It isn’t some fairytale. There are bad things that are going to happen and you’re going to experience them. But experiencing them will make you truly realize what it means to be happy and that no matter how bad it gets, it get better.” He smiled down at the girl, impressed that she hit the nail on the head.

“What effect do you think a story like this could have on society?” Derek had moved on from Lydia and asked the entire class. Stiles rose his hand up slowly.

“I think it could have a good effect on society.” Derek couldn’t wait to get Stiles home later on that night. The sound of his voice did things to Derek that he couldn’t even describe, but he needed to focus.

“How so?” Derek crossed his arms, trying to not stare at Stiles like he was a piece of meat.

“Well, if children were exposed to stories like this, at an early age, the population could be more excepting of homosexuality as a whole. It would teach them that it is okay and that nothing is wrong with being gay. There would be less self hate in the world; if children understood that they were normal and not damaged or broken. Children’s stories and fairytales today are strictly heterosexual and honestly extremely sexiest.” Derek hummed in agreement.

The rest of the class continued on this way, discussing the potential furthering of equality that stories like this could have on society. Derek had trouble keeping his eyes off Stiles the whole class, especially when the man would voice his opinions. It wasn’t until towards the end of the class that Derek noticed the curious look that Lydia was giving him… and Stiles.

When the class was over and he watched the students file past him he tried to put it out of his mind, the way Lydia was looking at both him and Stiles.

Stiles stayed behind after class and approached Derek’s desk, they only had a few minutes before Stiles had to get to his next class, and Derek had a free period so he didn`t have any worry about any other students walking in.

“Will you be over after you meet up with Laura for coffee?” Stiles nodded, grinning wildly.

“Obviously, I have been thinking about making out all day, so it really needs to happen.” Derek smiled, shaking his head.

“I think you’re worse than me and that’s saying a lot.” It was saying a lot. Derek thought he was bad, but since Stiles has started to move past his nervousness about getting more intimate, it was like he awoke a beast in the younger man.

“So, listen, before I go, I forgot to mention to you early that Lydia approached me today at lunch.” Derek immediately froze. He knew it; he knew the girl had to know.

“Now, hold on and wait before you freak out. She actually came to me to apologize about being such a bitch. I can’t get into detail now about it, but it seemed really genuine… for Lydia at least.” Derek breathed out a sigh of relief. Derek feared the girl finding out. The majority of it was because of how smart she was. All he ever got from Stiles was how much of a bitch she seemed and the things that he had witnessed during class time. If she knew it would only be a matter of time before everyone else knew and Derek feared the way it would come out.

Ultimately he knew that there was a great chance of this happening and he’ll accept it for what it is, because in the long run he is sure Stiles is worth it. Derek really thinks he got something good with Stiles, something long term and he wasn’t going to pass that up. There were plenty of jobs Derek could work, he’d even thought about being a mechanic before. There was only one Stiles and Derek didn’t want to miss out on that.

Stiles leaned forward and quickly placed and kiss on Derek’s lips.

“Don’t be such a worry wart; you’re going to give me a complex.” Derek sighed again, knowing Stiles was right. He made this decision and he didn’t regret it, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t want to protect his job for as long as he can. If he had to choose, he would, but he hoped he didn’t have too. Derek was sure he’d never see the inside of a classroom ever again, if he had to choose.

“I got to go, but I’ll see you later on tonight.” Derek smiled and nodded and Stiles took the second bell going off as his cue to leave.

“Oh Genim,” Derek called out after Stiles, watching the boy immediately freeze. Derek knew he had guessed right. While he was reading Stiles’ children’s story, Genim had seemed like such a unique name that there was no way that Stiles didn’t know anyone with the name. It dawned on Derek that it had to be Stiles’ real name.

“Genim, there is nothing to be embarrassed about that name.” Stiles turned around, intense flicker of emotions going through his eyes.

“My mom always used to call me Genim, she was the only one.” Derek immediately felt guilty about calling Stiles by his real name. He got up and moved closer to the younger man pulling him into a tight hug.

“I always hated the idea of anyone else calling me that, I even got my dad calling me Stiles.” Derek nodded.

“I understand. I’m sorry.” Stiles pulled back and pressed upward, kissing Derek, a little more intense than before.

“Don’t be,” Derek gave Stiles a confused look. He had basically told Derek he didn’t want to be called by his actual name.

“My mom was the only one that I liked using my real name. Coming from you though, it didn’t sound too bad.” Derek pulled Stiles into another kiss, loving the softness of the younger mans lips on his.

“Go to class now, before you’re late.” Derek said breaking the kiss. Stiles leaning forward for a quick final peck and walked quickly out of the room.

Derek sighed happily, grinning as his moved back to his desk. Derek could help the swell in his chest at the idea that Stiles liked Derek calling him by his real name. It made it more personal, like something as intimate as that should be respected and Derek planned too. Hauling out his lesson plan book, Derek figured he might get a head start for next week, while he had free time.

“I thought teachers kissing students was frowned upon.”

Derek’s eyes widen and he froze hearing a woman’s voice filter into his classroom. It felt like slow motion as Derek looked up from his plan book, into a pair of eyes he would could lived the rest of his life without ever seeing again.

Kate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate! Just love! :)


	9. Defence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! New chapter! The reason for the delay in this update was because I wanted to plan out the rest of the story, which is why there isn't a ? in the chapters section now. I planned up to 19 chapters so I am almost halfway there and I know, it's a lot but it really starts picking up from here. There is a good amount of conflict in this chapter so prepare for yourself for that. There is also homophobia, with the use of words that I don't support or encourage people to use. This is your warning, you might be offended.
> 
> A big thanks to ilovethesoundoftherain for betaing this chapter for me. I am trying to get better at the whole self edit thing, but I really suck so big thanks to her!
> 
> Enjoy

Chapter 9: Defence

_Stiles_

Stiles couldn’t help but roll his eyes as his bit into his lunch. Scott’s obnoxious laughing could be heard on the other side of the cafeteria from where Stiles was sitting. It was bad enough that Stiles had to be in the same room as him, but having Scott look at him out of the corner of his eye and then laugh was starting to get on his nerves. What was Scott trying to prove? That he could laugh while Stiles wasn’t around? He was acting like such a child and Stiles was honestly moments away from a round two with Scott.

What made matters worse was the fact that he was spending his lunch alone today, which over the past two weeks was something that had happened sometimes, but not often; like Stiles had expected. Danny had really stepped up and became a great friend to Stiles; a friendship that Stiles never thought he would ever have with Danny.  Danny had stepped up to the role of being Stiles friend; the role Scott had no trouble shitting on, and abandoning. Stiles was incredibly grateful for Danny, there were no words to actually describe how grateful he was, because without Danny, these past two weeks would have been miserable. Unfortunately for Stiles, Danny had to split his time between sitting with him and sitting with the others.

Today was an others day.

Not that Stiles was so needy he needed Danny around all the time. He was perfectly capable of making new friends. It was just the little snag of people wanting to be his friend was the major issue. Luckily he had befriended Erica Reyes one day at lunch. She was sitting by herself in the corner of the cafeteria and having nowhere else to sit Stiles was forced to go join her. Stiles was taken back by Erica’s welcoming smile, mostly because he hadn’t really talked to her before. It wasn’t like they never interacted, but they weren’t even what Stiles would consider acquaintances. Erica was just someone he saw everyday and upon getting to know the girl, Stiles had felt incredibly guilty for not getting to know her sooner. He wasn’t one of the people who avoided her solely based on her illness. Erica had epilepsy and because of this thing she had no control over, people treated her like a leper. They treated her like if they talked to her she would drop to the ground convulsing, and the fact that people thought that way made Stiles sick.

Stiles didn’t understand how people could be so judgemental, he really couldn’t. How someone could have it in them to ostracize someone else and make them feel unworthy. Sure she had an illness, but it didn’t mean she could be tossed aside. It was a touchy subject for Stiles, because he was often tossed aside due to his ADHD. It affected him physically—not to the extent that it affected Erica, but it would make him overwhelming to the vast majority of people. This made Stiles feel even guiltier for not befriending Erica before this. He knew he shouldn’t feel that way because it’s life, but Stiles felt like he had missed out on what could have been an awesome friendship. Stiles is okay with making up for lost time. The first time he had gone over to Erica’s and saw her comic book collection; he was convinced that she was a completely different species of female. Stiles couldn’t help but think if he liked women, Erica would probably be his soul mate.

Unfortunately she has other commitments at lunch today and couldn’t join Stiles. Stiles thought about going and harassing Derek, but he knew they had to have some boundaries, especially in school.  Derek had put an end to their lunch and after school meetings earlier that week. He said that Stiles marks were all up and that it would be inappropriate for them to still have lunch together. Stiles understood. He was Derek’s student in these walls as much as it killed Stiles, he knew he had to keep it professional. He knew Derek felt bad, but Stiles told him it was okay as long as they were inappropriate outside of school.

And they were.

Stiles only saw Derek a few times a week and when they did, a good chunk of that time was spent rolling around Derek’s bed making out. It would always start out with Derek making him supper (although Stiles is convinced that Laura precooks the food and Derek just heats it back up), then leading to a movie that they only make it half way through before Derek is carrying Stiles to his bedroom with his legs wrapped around Derek`s waist.

The sounds that Derek makes does things to Stiles’ body he can’t even begin to understand. He never expected Derek to be so vocal, but did he ever get a crash course in that. Derek growls, not an open mouth roar like a wolf, or some animal would; just a rumble in his throat especially when they are kissing. It’s like an indication of how worked up Derek is getting and it drives Stiles wild. It always leads to things becoming heated, intense and messy. When Stiles takes control and pins Derek underneath him, kissing down his jaw, nipping his way down Derek’s neck. The mews, whines and moans that escape Derek’s lips send more blood to Stiles already precum covered hard-on.

Stiles clears his throat and has to actively stop his brain from this train of thought. Thinking about pinning Derek underneath him, pressing his body flushed against Derek’s making the older man gasp and moan. Stiles shuddered and tried to adjust the erection in his pants as inconspicuously as possible. Stiles, if anything will be his own downfall, that is for sure. It was official though, Stiles was going to get sexy with Derek tonight.

Pants off sexy.

Stiles always thought that once given the choice to lose his virginity he would take the opportunity without much thought, but now with Derek he was having some hesitation. It’s not that he doesn’t want to lose it, that’s not the problem at all. He is a thousand percent sure he wants to lose it to Derek, but he is just worried about not being good enough. He knows that Derek is at a different experience level, he just doesn’t want to make a fool of himself. It’s why he has been trying to take things slow, even though his body has been screaming at him not too. Stiles is glad that Derek has been patient with him and he can’t help but feel guilty for the crippling blue balls Derek is getting because of it.

Stiles realized though, in the long run it doesn’t matter. It’s not like he is going to be amazing, and he is sure Derek doesn’t expect it to be like that. What Stiles has been realizing is that it’s about what Derek can teach him. It’s what he has been doing this entire time, taking things slowly, getting to know Derek as much as the older man is getting to know him. Actual intercourse would be a big step, but still the same concept. Derek has to learn Stiles as much as he has to learn Derek and he realizes he is okay with that. It’s going to be messy and sloppy, but Stiles realizes he kind of doesn’t want it any other way.

Tonight he wants Derek’s pants off, because if the bulge the man has is any indication, Stiles is going to be more than happy.

The more time Stiles spends with Derek the more he is starting to love Laura. It didn’t take long to learn that they were a package deal and Stiles was completely okay with that. They were like the true meaning of brother and sister, complimenting each other in ways that Stiles couldn’t help but be a little envious over. It’s what you expect though, when you spend so much time with one person. They are honestly the only family that they really had. Stiles could also tell that Derek was happy that both Laura and he got along, Stiles couldn’t help the thought that it didn’t happen very often.

Stiles looked up from his half eaten lunch to see Lydia strutting her way towards Stiles’ table. Stiles sighed wondering what kind of insults would spew from Lydia’s mouth now, like he doesn’t deal with all their crap enough as it is.

“What do you want, Lydia?” Stiles asks as she approaches his table and sits down.

“To talk,” She raised her eyebrows like Stiles should have known why she came over to where he was sitting, and it was stupid for him to even ask to begin with.

“Listen Lydia, I am not in the mood for your insults today.” Stiles started to gather his things, standing up to get away from her.

“Stiles, shut up and sit down.” Lydia grabbed his arm tightly and gave him the ‘do as I say glare’. Stiles always found it funny when he watched Jackson cower before it. Now he understood. Stiles tugged his arm from her reach, but sat back down.

“You got two minutes.” Stiles said sternly, trying to regain whatever manliness he had left, not that he had much anyways.

Lydia rolled her eyes, “I wanted to apologize.” Stiles couldn’t help the snort of the disbelief that came out of him.

“That’s rich coming from you.” He laughed, because he really thought it was funny. Lydia apologizing for her behaviour, he has never even heard of that happening before.

“Believe it or not Stiles, I like you.” Stiles just raised his eyebrow, twilight zone; he has entered the twilight zone.

“I find that a little hard to believe. After all the---I dunno. After all the shit you say to me day in and day out? The constant insults, the constant degrading I put up with from you, as if that was for any of my benefit.” Stiles crossed his arms; he couldn’t even believe he was listening to this right now. He is just waiting for the insult or the alternative motive that Lydia was going to present.

“It was.” Stiles snorted, again, but this time he started to get up.

“Okay, well as enlightening as this conversation was. I got more important things to tend too, than listen to your bullshit.” Stiles grabbed his backpack and Lydia made no move to stop him.

“I’m a bitch Stiles.” Lydia raised her voice a little, just enough for Stiles to stop his movements.

“I never said I wasn’t. Could I have helped in a different way? Sure. Tell Jackson to shut up when he spat out his homophobic bullshit. Call Scott out on whatever shit he got on with, sure, I could have. How does that help you? I know you’re not a push over Stiles, you don’t put up with shit from many people, but Scott is one of them. I knew he wouldn’t push you to your boundaries, but I could tell you were miserable so I decided to add to it. Knowing you’ll either come at me or him and I was right.” Stiles glared at Lydia, was she for real right now?

“Do you want some sort of gratification, a thank you?” Lydia rolled her eyes and Stiles literally wanted to punch her in the face. Even with his strict rule about never hitting a woman, which he was a moment away from breaking.

“Of course I don’t, I came over here to apologize for what I did, because it was a shitty thing to do, but it worked. It got you to buck up and actually deal with all the shit being thrown at you.” Stile breathed out harshly because he knew she was right. One of the main reasons Stiles was angry at Scott for was letting his ‘friends’ walk all over him. It made Stiles realize that he shouldn’t rely on anyone other than him when it came to defending himself. Not speaking up to spare drama was something he wasn’t going to practice again.

“I’m not looking for your forgiveness Stiles, I just wanted you to know that despite my methods, there is another person, besides that idiot you called your best friend, who cares about you.” With that Lydia got up and marched over to the table where she was sitting at, before Stiles could think of anything to say.

Stiles didn’t know where to put that, Lydia as a friend? The thought kind of put a bad taste in Stiles’ mouth. It was a weird thought though, that Lydia was willingly in his corner. He would have never thought that in a million years.

Stiles was up and out of the cafeteria in moments, not missing the look of confusion across Scott’s face. Stiles kind of enjoyed the satisfaction that Scott was currently sitting with a couple of people who thought he was just as much of an asshole as Stiles knew he was.

Stiles turned the corner, hoping to get to Derek’s classroom a few minutes early to talk to Derek about what just happened before class started. Stiles didn’t make it around the corner before he walked right into someone else, knocking their books onto the floor.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” Stiles mutter quickly before he bent down and started to pick up all the books that fell on the floor. Stiles looked up briefly and stopped picking up the books when he realized it was Allison he bumped into.

“Allison” Stiles said weakly, letting guilt wash over him.

“Oh, Stiles.” Allison said quietly, small smile on her lips. They both continued to gather the books in awkward silence. Once they both stood up, Stiles handed over the rest of Allison’s books to her.

“Well, I should be getting to class.” She said, giving Stiles a nod and started to move past him.

“Allison,” Stiles said, “please wait.” Allison stopped gave Stiles a sad smile.

“I just—I just wanted to say sorry, about what I said a few weeks ago.” Stiles wasn’t mad at Allison for everything Scott had done. He knew it wasn’t the her fault and he felt guilty because he knew Allison would take the blame for their fight, that’s who she was.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Stiles continued.

“Whatever Scott did, that’s on Scott. What I said was mean and wasn’t directed towards you. I’m sorry for waiting so long to tell you this. I really like you Allison; I think you’re amazing for Scott. He just has issues maintaining relationships and apparently having a gay best friend.” Allison smiled at Stiles and pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you.” She said, and Stiles felt the guilt slowly ebb away.

“I wanted you to know that. Despite whatever happens between Scott and me. It’s not your fault and I never want you to think that.” Allison nodded and motioned she had to go. Stiles grinned and remembered he needed to see his boyfriend.

“Stiles,” Allison cut into Stiles thoughts.

“He misses you.” Stiles nodded toward Allison and gave her a wave goodbye. Scott missing Stiles or not, it doesn’t change anything that has happened.

For the unseen future, whatever Scott and Stiles were, they aren’t anymore.

Scott made sure of that.

* * *

When Stiles gave Derek his kiss goodbye, he left the classroom in a hurry. He knew it was already too late to make it to his chemistry class, plus Mr. Harris would rather he not be there at all. Stiles decided it would be an opportune time to go visit his mother, tell her everything that had been going on before he had to be back for Lacrosse practice.

He was surprised by the discussion his writing assignment made throughout class, most people seemed extremely agreeable that stories like this should be read to children as they grow up. Knowing Derek though, that was probably the way he wanted the discussion to go, except that comment Greenberg made. Stiles literally thought Derek was going to explode. It’s not like his boyfriend was the master of masking his emotions, well he isn’t a master at masking his anger, the eyebrows are his kryptonite when it comes to that emotion. Stiles did find him a little hard to read at other times.

Stiles found it weird to hear homophobia, as far as schools go, his was pretty good for acceptance in those terms. He knew some of the team was uncomfortable with Danny, but never vocalized it because of Jackson. Jackson had basically made Danny off limits to any type of bullying, not that he couldn’t handle himself when it came down to it. Stiles was however, actually thankful that Lydia was there to say what Derek would have said, but shouldn’t have, despite it being the right thing. Stiles knew that when a teacher stands up to a student, especially in moments of anger, it always ended up with their job being threatened.

Stiles chuckled to himself as he arrived at the cemetery, recalling the look on Greenberg’s face when Derek told him to leave. It was completely satisfying and well deserved.

“Hey mom.” Stiles smiled sadly and sat down Indian style on the dried out grass in front of the engraved stone.

“I hope everything is going okay.” Stiles sighed; the idea of not knowing bothered him the most. It would be different if he knew where she was and if she was okay, he didn’t like how it was so unknown. His mom is gone, yes, he has come to terms with that, he just wished he knew where she was and if she was happy.

She was too good of a person to not be happy, where ever she is.

“I hope you’re happy, wherever you are.” Stiles reach over and touched the lettering across the stone.

“I am happy. I mean, there is a lot going on, but despite all of it, I am happy.” Stiles smiles, picking at the grass, one of his favourite things to do while he visits his mother, not able to keep his hands still.

“His name is Derek, he was that guy I told you about, the one that you wouldn’t approve of. We started dating. A decision not easily made I’ll have you know. We are taking things slow and he is being more than a respectful gentleman, you’ll be happy to know.” Stiles knows that would be the most important to his mother; how Derek treated him.

“The problem is—he’s sort of my teacher, which I know, I can almost hear you yelling at me about how bad this is. It does seem bad, it really does, but it doesn’t feel that way. It feels so right mom. I don’t understand why it’s so bad. I am an adult and old enough to make these decisions. I know what you’re thinking, what eighteen-year-old really knows what they want. Let’s face it; I am a lot more mature then a lot of people my age. A lot of it is due to losing you and having to pick up the pieces for me and dad when you left. I just hate the idea if people find out about us, I’ll be looked at like the victim and Derek as a predator. He is the farthest thing from that. It’s the real thing; he never preyed on me, nor me on him. We are just two people getting to know each other, at the wrong part of our lives.

I’m afraid of what will happen when we do start telling people, I don’t want them to judge Derek or treat him badly, but they will and it’s not right. He shouldn’t have to go through that and it kills me knowing that he will have to just for being with me. Dad won’t understand either. I don’t think he’ll ever understand and that makes it all very complicated and messy, but he is worth it. I think that’s how I know, that even with all these repercussions, what it’s going to do to the people in our lives. It won’t matter, because I think I am falling in love with him. Not just the simple crush that you used to tell me about, when you tried to compare what you and dad had, but the real thing. I honestly can’t see past him anymore, he is just so right, flaws and all. His smile, god—it does things to me that I didn’t even know could happen. It’s just all so fast and so intense. A part of me screams stop and slow it down, but I don’t, because I want this, I want him so badly. The feeling gets deeper and deeper every day, every time I see him, it scares me. I’ve never felt like this before, I don’t even know how to describe it. Is this like how it was with dad? I like to think so. It doesn’t feel like the trial run, it feels like the real thing, it feels permanent.

I just hope when people start finding out, they understand that. That if this thing does last, I don’t want to be labelled a victim. I want people to look at us and know how in love we are, that we are happy. I don’t want them to pervert my love and my feelings for Derek with their judgments and their insults.” Stiles sighed again, one of these days; he’ll leave this place happy. He always comes with the great intention of talking about all the good things in life but everything always starts pouring out. All his worries and doubts about everything.

“Me and Scott aren’t doing well either. We haven’t spoken in weeks. I don’t understand where things went wrong? He met Allison and that is when things changed, I became second to her and at first I wasn’t okay with that, but after that I accepted it. I know that isn’t how it should have been and I wasn’t happy about it but they were in love, who was I to get in the middle of that? We fought and he made it about her. The thing is, I love Allison, she is such an amazing person and so good for Scott. The fight wasn’t about her, it was us and how we’ve drifted apart. He told me he didn’t want me because I was gay. I don’t understand that? He isn’t homophobic so why am I any different? I don’t understand what went wrong with us? Was is my fault? Sometimes I feel like it is. That my problems and my insecurities bothered him so much he didn’t want to be around. Did I push myself away from him, trying to give him space? Was he pushing me away?

I ran into Allison today and she said he misses me. Where do I put that? He doesn’t have that right after what he said, and if it was actually true, why doesn’t he try and fix things. The truth is, I miss him too and I have been missing him for a long time now. I just want the friend that I can share anything with. I want to tell him about Derek, share with him my happiness and all the good things that are happening for me now. I want to tell him about all the bad things, and have him at my side. I’m doing all this by myself and it's so much harder without him.” Stiles closed his eyes and laid back, taking a deep breath. He doesn’t know if they’ll ever get passed this and despite being mad at him, he does want it back. He doesn’t want it the way it was, he wants it better.

Stiles checked his watch and realized he needed to be getting back to school for Lacrosse practice. He said his goodbyes to his mother, hopped in his Jeep and headed back to school. Maybe he should attempt to try with Scott, if Allison is right; maybe they could come to an understanding and work on whatever their relationship could be, together.

* * *

Stiles could already sense something was up when he walked into the locker room. All the guys were huddled around Greenberg; laughing. That wasn’t something unusual, but there was something in the air that made Stiles’ stomach churn. That sinking feeling you get when you know something is wrong.

“He’s probably a faggot too, that pansy ass teacher.” Stiles froze completely still at his locker. Derek, they were talking about Derek.

“He’s lucky I didn’t kick the shit out of him, fucking faggot. Kicking me out like that, who does he think he is?” Stiles breathed deeply at the murmurs of agreement across the room, slowly opening his locker and getting changed. He had to bite his tongue; he couldn’t draw attention to himself. sticking up for Derek could raise suspicions, and they didn’t need that. It would only make things worse.

“That bitch Martin too, if she wasn’t sleeping around with Whittemore, I’d show her want a real man was.” Stiles snorted quietly. His is pretty sure Lydia had a bigger dick than he did, she’d eat him alive.

Stiles tried to tune out what they were saying as he shrugged on his gear for practice. Once he was ready, he sat on the bench and faced them, seeing Scott amongst the group, laughing at one of Greenberg’s jokes.

Stiles glared at Scott. He couldn’t help the anger that swelled up in his chest. Scott missed Stiles? Of course the best way to miss someone was to laugh at gay jokes, in front of their face. Stiles gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. To think that Stiles was going to try again, to mend and build bridges, be friends again. Scott met Stiles glare and his smile immediately dropped from his face. Stiles couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped from his lips. It seemed to catch a couple of the guy’s attention and Stiles remained glaring at Scott until his eye fell to the floor.

“What’s so funny Stilinski?” Greenberg spoke up. Stiles shook his head, trying with all his power to not say anything to start a fight. He needed to just keep his mouth shut and get through practice without drawing any attention to himself.

“Nothing,” Stiles tried not to grit out.

“Just thought of something funny,” Stiles muttered out, keeping Greenberg’s gaze. The other man nodded and went back to whatever bigotry he was getting on with before. Stiles turned around on the bench and grabbed his phone from his open locker, he needed to text Derek. Stiles hoped he would give him some words of wisdom, or the patience to make it through the next couple of hours.

_'Greenberg keeps mouthing off and insulting you. Scott’s acting like the typical bystander and laughing. Going to lose it and end up getting my ass kicked soon'._

Stiles figured he would take this time and send one off to Laura as well to see when she wanted to meet up for coffee after practice. Christmas was just around the corner and he didn’t have a clue what to get for Derek. Stiles figured he’d go to the person who probably knows Derek better than he knows himself.

Someone walked up stopped right beside Stiles, clearing their throat. Stiles didn’t have to look up to know who it was, and he was the last person Stiles wanted to even look at; let alone talk too.

“Stiles…I-“ Scott started to speak but Stiles immediately cut him off.

“Go away Scott.” Stiles waited a few moments and sighed when the boy made no attempts to move.

“I wanted to say—.” Stiles cut him off again.

“I know what you wanted to say and I don’t want to hear it.” Stiles tried to keep his voice under control and as low as possible, he really didn’t need the rest of the team to get into this. They are worse than a bunch of little school girls; getting right into other people’s business.

“Stiles…” Scott started again, but Stiles got off the bench and stood in front of him, matching his gaze.

“I said get out of my face Scott. Don’t make me have to say it again.” Stiles spoke slowly, but firm, meaning every word. Scott flinched and Stiles couldn’t help the guilt that fluttered in his stomach, but he tried to squash it down right away.

“Okay.” Scott nodded quietly and walked back over to where he was standing with others from the team, who were now looking between Stiles and Scott.

Their locker room quiet now, and Stiles had enough. He went back over to his locker and started to change out of his uniform. He wasn’t staying there any longer; he needed to get out of there. The coach didn’t really need him to stay and keep the bench warm, not today.

“What’s up your ass Stilinski?” Greenberg. Stiles was going to destroy him. He finished changing, ignoring his question.

“Did you hear what I said Stilinski?” Greenberg pressed and Stiles snapped. He grabbed his bag from the locker and slammed it shut.

“I did hear you. Considering that I am one of those _faggots_ you’re talking about, I really don’t think you want to know what’s in my ass.” Greenberg and some of the team gaped at him.

“That’s what I thought. Maybe you should learn to keep your ignorant mouth shut.” That seem to snap Greenberg out of his daze.

“Are you threatening me Stilinski?” His voice was dangerous, but Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Of course not, I am just passing on some friendly advice.” Stiles stepped over the bench, a foot closer to Greenberg, who stood up immediately.

“When I want advice from a faggot, it’ll be on what shoes I’ll get my girlfriend.” Stiles laughed, and decided that his brain-to-mouth filter didn’t need to exist in this moment.

“A girlfriend? Greenberg, seriously? How do you expect to get one of those when you spend most of your time on the field being knocked on your ass.” Stiles could see Greenberg visibly fuming.

“Embarrassing really.” Stiles heard Scott say some warning to stop but he ignored him and walked even closer to Greenberg until they were about a foot away from each other.

“I’d like to see you try to take on Mr. Hale. I wonder how long it would take him to kick your ass from one end of campus to the other?” Stiles leaned in even closer.

“I don’t think it would take very long.” Greenberg grabbed Stiles by his shirt collar and threw him to the ground. Greenberg stepped over him, grabbing his collar again, other arm arching back, a fist made, ready to hit Stiles.

“WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?” Coach’s voice bellowed and everyone froze, including Greenberg.

“Let go of Bilinski now, Greenberg.” He released Stiles forcefully and stepped away, both hands balled into fists.

“Now who wants to explain what just happened to me?” Stiles stood up and looked over at coach, eyes bulging out of his head. Danny and Jackson were behind the coach, they must have been at a meeting, probably the reason why Greenberg had had the balls to say what he was saying.

Stiles felt himself deflate a little at the look of concern written across Danny’s face. He could tell that Danny knew what had gone down. Stiles just sighed, and turned around and headed for the door. He could hear the coach shouting after him, but he really couldn’t find it in him to care.

* * *

“You shouldn’t feel bad for defending yourself!” Laura says from across the table. Stiles sighed; it had nothing to do with feeling bad for defending himself, and by proxy Derek.

“I shouldn’t have too.” Laura sighed and leaned back in her chair because she knew he was right. Being gay shouldn’t even be an issue, but it was for people like Greenberg, and they relished off people knowing how disgusting they think it is.

“It shouldn’t be an issue for me to defend myself and honestly, it was more for Derek then it was for me. I am mature enough to walk away from anyone bullying me. You don’t saying things about my—you don’t insult my boyfriend in front of me and not expect me to do anything about it.” Laura nodded in agreement.

“It takes a lot for Derek to get to that point. There are only a few triggers that would get him angry, and the people he cares about is one of them. I am the exact same way. Say what you want about me because I don’t give a shit, but fuck with my family and that’s a whole other can of worms.” Stiles grinned over at Laura. This is one of the reasons why Stiles loves Laura; they were almost the same person sometimes.

“It just bothers me, because that wasn’t me. Back there wasn’t who I am, I’m not violent, and it's never been my wish to die standing up to a bunch of mostly straight men in a locker room when testosterone is running high.” Laura giggled.

“But having them insult Derek, especially someone like Greenberg, who is so beneath Derek, just made me angry. It was just so petty, but I saw red.” Stiles raised his hot chocolate to his lips and blew at the liquid, it was still too hot to drink.

“I’m glad Derek has you. You guys complement each other so well, it’s kind of scary.” Stiles couldn’t help but grin at this. It was nice to know that Laura liked him and Derek being together, it was almost like a stamp of approve, which Stiles didn’t need but is glad he had.

“How so?” Stiles asked.

“You’re just outspoken, hyperactive and different from Derek. Not drastically opposite, but just enough to complement each other. You ground each other, and I think the life Derek will have with you is one he won’t have with anyone else.” Stiles stared wide eyed at Laura. The life Derek will with Stiles?

“I mean—I, you know what I mean.” Stiles did, sort of.

“I know this thing between you and Derek is new, but it seems like it could be long lasting. All I am saying is that if it does last long, he’ll have a happy life. A better one then he has had so far.” Stiles couldn’t help but smile at Laura. He got up and hugged the girl fiercely.

“Thank you.” Stiles whispered in her ear, and she hugged him back tightly.

“You’re welcome, and be thankful. I think you’re the only one to ever get the complete Laura stamp of approval.” Stiles laughed and sat back down.

“I can see that. I think you try to scare people away.” Laura winked at Stiles.

“Maybe, unfortunately it doesn’t always work?” Stiles gave Laura a questioning look.

“Who else have you tried to sca—,” Stiles was cut off.

“Well, look who we have here?” The voice came from behind Stiles. He turned around to look at a gorgeous brunette walk in from behind him. He looked over at Laura, and the look of pure rage that settled across her face set Stiles on edge.

“What are you doing here?” Laura spat out as the girl laughed and pulled a chair from another table to sit in between Stiles and Laura.

“Just here in Beacon Hills with a friend, visiting an old friend.” The woman looked directly at Laura.

“Stay away from my brother.” Laura threatened, and Stiles felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Shit was about to hit the fan.

“To late for that, I took a visit to the school earlier to pay our dear Derek a visit. I learned a few new things, it was very educational.” Her eyes flickered towards Stiles. Stiles could feel his temper start to rise for the third or fourth time today. What did she want with Derek, who was she?

“I think it’s time for you to go now.” Stiles said evenly, trying not to let any emotion come through his voice.

“Oh, why’s that cutie?” Inside Stiles rolled his eyes, and wanted vomited in distaste from this woman calling him cute. Whoever this was, Laura looked feral and like she was barely containing herself. Stiles was definitely not getting good vibes from this woman.

“You’re not wanted here. I think it’s time for you to leave.” The woman pretended to be appalled.

“But sweetheart, you haven’t given me the chance to introduce myself.” She stuck her hand out.

“I’m Kate.” Stiles look down at her hand and back up at the woman, irritation coming off him in waves now.

“Leave Kate,” Laura gritted out, and Kate sighed.

“I thought people were supposed to be friendly in Beacon Hills.” She sulked crossing her arms and leaned back into the chair. Stiles was actually amazed, did she not get their very straightforward hints.

“This is the fourth time.” Stiles snapped at her.

“Leave. Now.” He snarled.

“What are you going to do if I don’t little boy?” Kate stood up, her voice raised. She leaned in closer to Stiles, placing her hands on the arm rests of his chair. Laura was immediately on her feet, her body smacking the table, tipping her coffee over onto the table. She reached over and grabbed Kate’s arm pulling her around so she was facing Laura.

“You should be more worried about what I will do to you.” Laura threatened. Stiles looked around, people in the coffee shop were looking at what they thought was going to be a fight.

“You know I’ve been itching to knock your fucking teeth in.” Kate ripped her arm from Laura grasp.

“Give me a reason.” Laura snarled, positioning herself to launch at Kate. Kate started to laughed and put her hands up.

“I’ll leave.” She backed away, putting her chair back. With her heels clicking on the floor she turned and started to go. She stopped just past Stiles and leaned in, her breath hot in his ear.

“Bit of advice: be careful who you kiss during school hours, you never know who is watching.” Stiles could hear the smile in her voice. Stiles felt the tip of her tongue slide in his ear.

“See you around, cutie.” She left Stiles’ bubble and walked out of the store. It was moments before Stiles looked up at Laura who was still enraged.

“Who was that?” Stiles asked, getting up and throwing money for their drinks on the dry part the table.

“We should get back to my place.” She said; worry finally coming through in her voice. She turned around and left the coffee shop.

“Laura.” Stiles shouted at her outside the restaurant. She stopped and turned around, biting her bottom lip.

“Who was that?” Stiles asked again.

“It was Kate.” Stiles made a ‘duh’ gesture, and asked her to elaborate.

“Wait for Derek; this is something he should tell you.” Stiles was getting fed up.

“Who was she to Derek?” Laura just sighed, Stiles needed to know what he had to go up against, he knew this was going to be a shit storm. Stiles could tell she wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.

“She is his sociopath ex.” Stiles let out a long breath.

“Great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on starting to write the new chapter tonight at work (cause I clearly have nothing better to do there), but it probably won't be posted till later on in the month. I have finals next week and a paper for clinical. Then I have 2 weeks off, which I want to pump out a lot of writing! I hope you guys enjoyed! :) Please comment!


	10. Taste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the new chapter! It's starts to get more intense from here on out-In more than one way. I appreciate all the love you guys have been giving me and thank you for all the comments! Just be warned that there is smut in this chapter. So if you don't like it-well, if you don't I'm not entirely sure the Sterek fandom is for you. I hope you guys enjoy it. It is also, my very first real smut scene. I hope I did well! Enjoy!
> 
> Big thanks to the ilovethesoundoftherain for betaing this chapter for me!

Chapter 10: Taste

_Derek_

“Long time no see baby.” Kate said, moving into Derek’s classroom. Derek watched her as she moved in front of him. She leaned forward, bracing her arms against Derek’s desk.

Derek was stuck for words, in some sort of a stupor. So much had just happened in literally a minute and he didn’t even know where to begin to even process. Kate, his ex is standing in front of him, the same person who cheated on him and made his life miserable. This very same person who Derek was convinced was actually a sociopath had just seen him and his student kiss, in his classroom, during school hours.

Derek was royally fucked.

“Kate.” Derek managed to say, cringing at how tight his voice was, like he was struggling to even speak.

“I was expecting a better hello than that, but I guess from the show I just saw, that won’t be happening.” Derek was having trouble placing his emotions right now. He was still channelling some initial shock, but the anger Derek had for this woman started to flare up in his chest. He was trying to contain himself because Kate knew about Stiles, he had to be smart and not push the woman.

One thing that was important was that she wasn’t intimating Derek, like he knew she was trying to do.  She always thought that she had Derek wrapped around her finger, she had—in a way, but he knew the difference. He knew when she was trying to manipulate him into doing something, but the sad thing is that he did it anyways, which is something Derek will probably be ashamed of for the rest of his life. The point was that Kate thought she had Derek wrapped around her finger, but he could have easily unwrapped himself and he did.

“Sorry to disappoint Kate. What are you doing here?” Derek finally found his voice. He was so over all the drama, the self loathing he put himself through for this woman and moved on, too much better things. Having her standing in front of him again was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. He just needed to find out what she wanted exactly and send her on her way.

“I’m just here to catch up with an old flame—we left things a little rough the last time we saw each other.” Derek snorted.

“You were fucking another man in our bed.” Kate pushed back from the desk and started to walk slowly around the classroom. Looking at how Derek had the walls decorated, art works from students and stuff he had seen around town.

“People make mistakes Derek.” She said flippantly. Derek knew she never really felt any guilt for what she did. It was about her needs and that was all that mattered, nothing like morals, trust or respect got between that.

“How many times did you make that same mistake Kate?” She chuckled.

“How many times do you think?” Derek knew it wasn’t just a one-time thing. He knew there were others, but didn’t want to know any details. At the time he was so disgusted in himself he had gathered all his things, found a place to live and got every test known to man to make sure he hadn’t caught anything.

“What do you really want Kate?” Derek really wanted for her to cut to the chase. Find out what she wanted, deny her and then get her to leave.

“I told you what I was here for. I wanted to _reconnect_ with an old flame.” Derek actually grimaced at what she was implying. Derek wouldn’t touch her now if she was the only woman on earth and she knew that. She was here for something else.

“I’ve known you long enough to know the difference. Don’t play me for a fool.” She stopped pacing the classroom, a smirk on her face.

“I’ve already done that, remember?” Derek breathed deeply; he needed to be in control. He handled everything before like a mature adult, he could do it now.

“Get out of my classroom.” Derek ended up snarling, so much for control. Kate looked a little taken back. She had never seen Derek angry. In the two years they were together, they barely fought and when they did, Derek was always cool and collected. He was above giving her the satisfaction then, but now he really wasn’t. He was a different person then and if she didn’t leave soon, she’d know the person he really was, because the person he was now didn’t have time for people like Kate.

“If I don’t?” She questioned, picking up a meter stick from the chalk board on the side of the classroom.

“Are you going to bend me over, smack my ass until it’s red and swollen?” She smirked and continued.

“Pretend like I am one of your students.” She put her hands against the wall and stuck her ass out. Derek couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from his lips, this was becoming so ridiculous he couldn’t help but not find it funny.

“Is that the UNF you were missing Kate?” She pushed herself back from the wall, annoyance written across her face. Derek knew she was irritated with the fact she wasn’t getting under his skin.

“Did you want me to punish you? Tie you up like some wild animal? Redden your ass till you couldn’t sit down.” He said between chuckles, feeling the satisfaction that he was getting to her and not the other way around.

“I said get out Kate.” Derek said again, motioning towards the door and going back to the work on his desk, shaking his head.

“Which desk does he sit in?” Derek sighed and looked up, watching her take a seat directly in Stiles’ seat.

“Who?” Kate rolled her eyes.

“Don’t play stupid Derek; we both know you’re not.” She motioned towards all the desks.

“Where does the jailbait you have seemed to have gone gay for sit?” Derek shrugged. He wasn’t going to answer any question concerning Stiles.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d end up liking men. You always did prefer me on my hands and knees.” Kate pushed herself up from her chair and headed back towards the front where Derek was sitting.

“What do you want Kate?” Derek asked again.

“You.” She stated simply. Derek gaped at her from a moment. She wasn’t serious? There was no way she was serious.

“You’re joking right?” Derek asked in disbelief.

“Does it seem like I am joking?” She questioned, her tone serious.

“Why would I ever get back with you?” Derek asked bluntly. Derek would rather be alone for the rest of his life then ever be with Kate again.

“Because you’ll keep your job.” Derek sighed; here were the threats. He was wondering how long it was going to take for this to come out.

“Be with me and I won’t tell anyone about your relationship with your child, hell, I might even let you keep him to have on the side. I know I’ll have my share on the side.” She leaned forward on Derek’s desk again, smile smug. Derek couldn’t help the anger bubble up inside of him at the nerve of Kate. Calling Stiles a child, which is something he wasn’t. Assuming that Derek would ever agree to whatever insanity she was getting on with or that he would ever let her dictate his life like that. That was never going to happen.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” She rose up from the desk, looking furious. Derek couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t getting what she wanted from him this time.

“You heard what I said.” Derek said, standing up from his desk walking around towards her.

“You can say whatever you want to anyone. I’d rather live in a park, eat shit and be jobless then be with you.” Derek was right in Kate’s face. She looked like she was going to explode. Her face was red and she was visibly shaking.

“You know,” She started, moving away from Derek towards the door.

“I tried doing this the easy way.” Derek literally rolled his eyes.

“Blackmail was the easy way?” Kate shrugged her shoulders; it was the easy way for her apparently.

“I’ll let you think on it. I can give you a hell of a lot more than some boy can give you.” Derek sighed.

“The answer is still no Kate.”

“For now.” She said and walked right out the door.

Derek groaned and walked back to his desk. Derek couldn’t believe he had actually thought he could make it to graduation without anyone finding out about him and Stiles. Derek sighed and looked around his classroom, he wondered if he should just start packing up his stuff right now. It’s not like he’ll have this job by the end of next week.

Kate was right though, she could offer Derek right more right now. She had a job, as far as Derek knew. He could go out with her in public and wouldn’t have to hide their relationship. He could keep his job, but that was for right now. She couldn’t offer half of what Stiles could offer Derek in the long run. Sure Stiles was still his student, he still had college and it was a good few years before he would have decent job. But he will have all those things; Derek would make sure of that. Stiles could offer him support, not the financial kind but the emotional kind. Derek and Stiles would be in an actual relationship and now that Derek was actually thinking about it, Kate couldn’t even offer Derek that much. She wanted a relationship of convenience, because they looked good on paper and they did. Kate couldn’t offer him love and even if she could, he didn’t want what she had to offer.

Derek wanted Stiles and only Stiles. He wanted whatever the boy was willing to offer, which Derek knew would be everything he could ever ask for. Derek was convinced more and more every day that he was falling for the boy; if he hadn’t already.

* * *

Derek felt guilty.

He was avoiding Stiles’ text messages. Not so much avoiding because he had read them, but he was avoiding messaging back. It’s not that he didn’t want to help Stiles deal with Scott or the assholes in the locker room, but Stiles would know something was up. The guy was so perceptive it was scary.

Last week, Derek and Laura had got into a fight about something completely stupid. It was something about laundry, something so stupid Derek couldn’t even remember what it really was about. Stiles had known something was up after a few messages, known just by Derek’s word choices that he wasn’t quite himself.

Derek was still trying to work out how he was going to deal with Kate, if he could even do anything about this whole situation. Having Stiles picking up on the fact that Derek was freaking out internally wouldn’t be a good thing.

Derek was worried about what had happened in the locker room. His sister and Stiles were out having coffee when Stiles was supposed to be at practice. He knew something had gone down, but he’d know soon enough. Stiles was going to come over afterwards and Derek was struggling if he should tell Stiles what was going on or not. Derek wanted to spare Stiles the stress of having to deal with Kate on top of everything he had been dealing with for the past few weeks.

Derek sighed, arranging his body so he could lay down on the couch as opposed to sit on it. As much as Derek wanted to deal with this on his own, he knew telling Stiles would be the right thing. This was going to blow up in Stiles’ face just as much as it would in Derek’s, especially if the Sheriff finds out.

He’ll have to keep Stiles out of whatever Kate’s planning as much as he could. She didn’t know who Stiles was, that was something positive to take out of this whole situation and Derek wanted to keep it that way. If she learns that Stiles’ father is the Sheriff it would be an entirely different can of worms. A can that Derek didn’t want to open, because he knew there might be a way to get himself out of this situation with Kate (not that he knew what it was), but add the Sheriff to it all and he had no chance whatsoever.

“Derek!” Laura screamed as she came though the front door making Derek jump up from the couch.

“Get down here right now!” She ordered from the porch.

“There is no need to scream Laura, I’m right here.” Derek said and she came through the door and looked at him, her gazed hardening

“You knew!” She immediately accused. Derek sighed, she knew.

“I knew what?” Derek asked, not trying to play stupid. He wanted to make sure that Laura was talking about Kate before he agreed to anything. Laura knowing about Kate would be disastrous. Although, the fact that Laura would probably run Kate over with her car and then back up might actually help Derek with his situation.

“Kate!” She yelled, making Derek flinch. He got up from the couch to walk over to where she was standing. Stiles took that moment to walk in behind Laura and stand next to her, his blank expression making Derek’s stomach drop.

“What did she do?” Derek turned to Laura and asked. He wanted to go over and comfort Stiles, but he was unsure if he was mad at Derek too. It made Derek extremely uneasy to not be able to get a read on Stiles, he could normally tell what the boy was feeling, but whatever Kate did, it certainly did something to Stiles.

“So you knew!” Laura poked him in the chest roughly, making him take a step back.

“Yes, I knew!” Derek immediately took a few steps back when he saw the look wash over Laura’s face. The one she always got before things started to get violent.

“…And you didn’t think it was important to tell me?” Her went voice dangerously low.

“Laura…” Derek said, putting his hands up to calm her down and try to explain.

“Seriously Derek, after everything that happened you didn’t think it was necessary to at least let me know she was in town.” Derek opened his mouth again to try and tell Laura but she cut him off for a second time.

“It might have prepared me a little when she decided to have a chat with me and Stiles here.” Derek immediately looked at Stiles again.

“Stiles, are you okay? What did she say to you?” Derek walked over to stiles and put his hand on the younger man’s shoulders.

“It’s fine, she didn’t say anything.” Stiles gave him a weak smile and placed his hand on Derek’s, trying to reassure him.

“Like hell she never! She threatened him!” Laura spat angrily.

“What did she say? What happened?” Derek had let go of Stiles’ shoulders to stand back and look at him.

“Laura and I were talking and she just came over, sat down, going on about seeing an old friend. I told her to leave the table several times. She got in my face and Laura got her to back off, not before she told me that I should be careful about who I kiss during school hours, stuck her tongue in my ear and said she’ll see me around.” Derek couldn’t help the wave of possessiveness that washed over him, know that Kate had touched something that was his, made him angry to his core.

“Which might not have happened if you had—” Derek snapped, cutting Laura off. Her ragging on him was something he didn’t need right now.

“Just shut up Laura!” She abruptly closed her mouth, not expecting Derek to snap at her.

“I knew, yes! Okay I knew she was in town, but I found out not even three hours ago so get off my fucking back.” Derek noticed Stiles eyes widen. Derek realized this was the first time that he has ever seen Derek mad or heard him curse for that matter.

“She saw me and Stiles kiss at school today. She is trying to blackmail me into taking her back. I’m very sorry that in the midst of me trying to figure what the hell had just happened and how the fuck I was going to get out of it, I forgot to call you.” Derek watched Laura visibly deflate and her eyes soften. Derek sighed; Laura always shot first and asked questions later, even when it came to him. Derek lost count of how many times they had argued just because Laura was such a quick trigger.

“Derek—shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Derek just nodded and gave her a smile, letting her know that it was okay.

“So this was my fault?” Stiles spoke up.

“Her blacking mailing you,” He continued.

“If I never decided to kiss you, in school then this would have never happened.” Derek could see the guilt written all over his boyfriends face.

“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Derek said gently. Stiles only shook his head and stepped away from Derek who was reaching for Stiles.

“But it is, if I never—“ Derek cut the younger man off.

“I kissed you too, remember? I wanted to as well. It takes two too kiss. Don’t put this all on you. It doesn’t matter if she saw; she would have found out or found something anyways.” Derek got a hold of Stiles and pulled him to his chest, wrapping his arms around him.

“What’s going to happen?” Stiles said into Derek’s chest. Derek heard the boy inhale deeply, breathing in his scent and Derek couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t know.” Derek said honestly, looking at Laura who nodded at Derek, mouthing the words ‘we’ll talk later’ and took her cue to leave, to give them some privacy.

“She knows about us. She knows what you look like, but doesn’t know who you are, as far as I know. I want to keep it that way.” Stiles nodded into Derek’s chest.

“Cause of my dad.” Derek tightened his grip around Stiles.

“Yeah.” Derek said sadly, even if Kate does go to the school board about his relationship with Stiles, there is no way that the Sheriff won’t hear about.

“This is the worst thing that could possibly happen.” Derek could help but chuckle, if the Sheriff had walked in on them that would’ve been much worse.

“It’s up there.” Derek smiled down at Stiles when he pulled away from his chest.

“Let’s go sit down.” Derek said, pulling them towards the sofa.

Derek laid back on the sofa, pulling Stiles on him of him, having the boy rest his head on Derek’s chest, his chin resting on Stile’s head.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Stiles asked quietly.

“She came in, almost directly after you ran off. I was surprised that you didn’t see her when you left.” Derek sighed, he was happy that never happened, because he didn’t know what would have happened if Stiles was present for their conversation.

“I asked her what she was doing here. She dodged around the question, hinting at what she saw between us, trying to tease and humiliate me. She said she wanted me back, no specific reason, just that she thought she could give me more than what you could give me.” Derek heard Stiles snort in what he could assume was disgust and he couldn’t help but grin, loving the warmth spreading across his chest.

“I told her no and she told me she’ll give me time to reconsider, keeping in mind that she will report me if I don’t take her back.” Derek finished. Stiles lifted his head and placed his head on his hands, looking at Derek.

“What are you going to do?” He asked sadly, making Derek confused.

“What do you mean?” Derek asked.

“Do you think you’ll reconsider?” Stiles looked away from Derek, not being able to keep his gaze.

“No, hey, listen to me.” Derek reached for Stiles face, turning back towards him, while still cupping his face.

“Even if you weren’t in the situation, I would never take Kate back, ever. That was a time in my life that I am not quite proud of and someone I don’t want to be anymore. The only thing that upsets me about it all is that she is using you to threaten my job. But if I lose it, then I lose it. We knew that this could happen when we started this, so it doesn’t change anything. It sucks, really sucks but it doesn’t change anything.” Derek smiled, stroking Stiles’ cheek. He leaned forward for a quick kiss, earning a smile from the younger man.

“Can you tell me about what happened between you guys? It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, for her to have such an impact on you and Laura, it must have been pretty hard.” Derek smiled up at Stiles and leaned forward for another kiss, slower this time.

“As long as you don’t judge me after it’s all over.” Stiles chuckled.

“Well, I can’t make that promise. She isn’t me and that alone gives me room for judgement. I will try my best though.” Stiles teased and Derek rolled his eyes at the younger man.

“I met Kate when I was in university. It was a party my dorm was having for no real reason other to get drunk. I met her and I thought she was the life of party, she was like a firecracker and I was immediately drawn too her.” Derek wondered if Stiles felt weird with Derek telling him this. He hoped Stiles didn’t find it too weird or didn’t get the wrong impression.

“We started dating and things were great, she was really energetic and fun to be around. As we got closer, I felt so uneasy. It was always just fun and games, which was great, but I always felt like there was this lack of emotional connection, I felt like it was me. I’ve always had trouble trying to open myself to people.” Derek moved one of his hands started to run his fingers through the little bit of hair Stiles had on his head.

“I made it my goal to try and please her. To make sure she was happy and had whatever she wanted. Eventually I got so caught up in that, the relationship became about Kate and her needs and her wants. It wasn’t like I had anything to really compare what Kate and I had to anyone else. She was my first serious relationship. I figured you know that this was normal; it was a hump I had to get over before I was able to really open up and connect with her.

Laura and I had a falling out, over Kate. She thought I was changing and it was for the worst. She was right and I got mad at her for it. It was after that falling out that I started to really notice things about our relationship. It was all one-sided, which I was to blame because I let it become that way. But I started to really notice the lack of reciprocation. It was always what she wanted, where to eat, what to do, who to hang out with, when and what we should be doing and when we were intimate. Emotionally though, there was no fire, it wasn’t like it was when I first met her. I knew I wasn’t going to open up and go there, because somehow I knew she wasn’t. I always knew.” Derek sighed and Stiles grabbed his hand, bring it to his lips and kissed his knuckles gently.

“It was after that realization—like a few days after, I was getting home from a night class and she was sleeping with another guy in our bed. I remember so clear. She caught me and smiled. Then she kept on going. What’s even worse was the fact that I didn’t feel anything, I was so detached and it scared me. I walked out and called Laura. She came up and helped me move into a different place.

I was lucky to have her after that. I beat myself up a lot afterwards. I was upset about Kate cheating on me after it sunk in, but I was mostly ashamed, because I let myself become that person. I willingly let myself be used by someone, in order to make up for something I was worried about not being able to give, when they really had no intention of reciprocating anyways. God, I was so angry at myself and if it wasn’t for Laura, being there and being my rock, I would have had such a harder time.

It’s why she hates Kate. Well—she never really liked her to begin with but to know what she had done and how it affected me, our relationship. Let’s says Laura had a lot of colourful things to say to her.” Derek sighed; it confused Derek to no end trying to find out why Kate even wanted him back. She must have seen that he had changed, that he wasn’t the same person she knew, but she still wanted him and was ignorant to want things back to the way they were. Like somehow what happened wasn’t the reason why they ended it to being with.

“Do you have that same trouble now?” Stiles asked. Derek gave him a questioningly look, not really understanding what Stiles was actually asking.

“That wall, the block that you experience with Kate, do you feel the same for me. Is there something stopping you from going there emotionally with me?” Derek felt a little panic start to form into his stomach. He hadn’t realized that being so truthful with Stiles might have caused him some concerns about how genuine Derek’s feelings where towards Stiles.

“I don’t.” Derek smiled at his boyfriend.

“I never hit that wall with you. I don’t think I will. I’ve never had a reason too.” Derek brought he hand to Stiles’ face, using his thumb to caress his check.

“You—You’re so much more than Kate will ever be. In the time that I have known you, I’ve questioned every emotion I’ve ever felt towards her. She has never made me feel the way you make me feel. I’ve never felt so deeply and intensely towards someone in my life.” Derek couldn’t help but move his head forward and kiss Stiles lightly on the nose. Stiles lit up, eyes shining and a big grin on his face. Derek couldn’t think of anything more handsome and perfect.

“I used to think I was in love with Kate.” Derek said; a smile still on his face, looking directly into Stiles’ dark amber eyes, the feeling of butterflies jittering through his body.

“I realized that everything I felt for her is nothing compared to how I feel about you. I look into your eyes and I know what I felt for her wasn’t real. I look into your eyes and I know that this is it.” Derek didn’t get a chance to process what exactly he had just said to Stiles because Stiles had quickly moved up and attacked Derek’s lips with his own so fiercely Derek couldn’t help the groan that escaped from him.

Stiles pressed his body flush against Derek’s in a need he’d never seen before. He groaned at the pressure Stiles was putting on his already hard erection.

“Stiles.” Derek groaned, breaking the kiss and pulling back to look at Stiles. Derek moaned at the sight of want and hunger in stiles’ eyes. His normal warm amber eyes barely visible with his pupils blown wide open.

“Upstairs.” Stiles said raggedly, jutting his hips against Derek’s, feeling the younger man’s erection press against his thigh.

Derek nodded furiously, following Stiles as he slowly lifted himself off Derek. Derek rose with him, nipping at Stiles’ already swollen bottom lip.

“Are you sure?” Derek almost cursed himself for asking, not wanting to ruin the moment, but he knew they were taking things slow and this is a huge step. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen, but he knew it was going to lead into a territory neither of them had gone with each other.

Stiles stood up from the couch, eyes never leaving Derek’s. Derek moved into a sitting position as Stiles moved in front of him, his erection very visible and directly in front of Derek. It took the older man all his will power not lean forward and put his mouth on the material stretched over Stiles cock. All Derek wanted to do was mouth at Stiles cock, lick every each inch he could, soaking the denim. He wanted to feel the heat and hardness against his face, breathe in the scent of the boy.

Stiles reach forward and took Derek’s hand in his. He lifted Derek’s hand to lips, slowly kissing the palm, making his way to the tip of Derek’s fingers, kissing each and every one at the tip. He took Derek’s hand and cupped his cheek, a smile breaking out over his face.

“I am so sure.” Stiles said, dragging Derek’s hand from his face to his throat. Stiles swallowed purposefully, feeling and watching it moved up and down. Derek could help but think about his cock driving past Stiles beautiful lips and down his throat, feel the boy try to swallow him whole.

“Unless.” Stiles spoke hoarsely, Derek feeling the vibrations as Stiles slide his hand down further, down over his chest.  Derek felt the hard nub of Stiles nipple as the younger man slowly dragged Derek’s hand over it, letting each finger graze it. Stiles shuddered, letting out a soft mew and Derek felt his stomach knot up, his whole body feeling like it was going to burn out from the inside out. The urge to take control and take this boy where he stood was overwhelming.

Stiles slide Derek’s hand down further, over the lithe abs Stiles had forming, Lacrosse practice giving the boy some natural muscle. Stiles stopped his hand just at the waist of his jeans. Derek took in the flushed appearance of the younger man, seeing that his breathing was just as laboured as Derek’s. Derek licked his lips hungrily, he needed Stiles so badly his dick ached, and ached so deep it was painful. Derek didn’t need to move to know that his briefs were soaked with his precum, probably so much it was going to seep through his sweats.

“Unless,” Stile said again, drawing Derek’s eyes to his.

“You’re not ready.” Stiles started moving Derek’s hand down further again, right over his jean clad erection. Derek embarrassingly gasped a little, surprised at how hard and hot it was, burning through the material.

Derek stood up slowly, hand still gently pressed against Stiles’ cock, the tip of his finger rubbing against the head of his cock through his jeans. Derek leaned forward; making sure his body was pressed against Stiles’. He moved towards Stiles ear, rubbing his cheek against Stiles’, his stubble scratching against the younger man’s skin.

“I’m ready.” Derek nearly growled, gripping the base of Stiles’ erection roughly and watched as the boy keened in towards him. His lips parting and a throaty moan escape his lips.

“Upstairs.” Derek growled this time.

“Before I take you where you stand.” Stiles moaned as Derek applied more pressure to his dick, rubbing it roughly through his jeans. Derek let go and Stiles whimpered slightly at the loss of Derek’s hand.

“Go.” Derek said Stiles nodded dumbly, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before he stepped back from Derek and started towards the stairs leading to Derek’s room.

Derek walked into his room, expecting to see Stiles on his bed, but only heard the door close behind him. He turned around into time for Stiles grab him by his shirt and pull Derek against him, both men stumbling back against the door, Stiles mouth attacking his hungrily.

Derek started to kiss back, it was rough, their teeth clashed, tongues sliding against one another, making it wet and sloppy. Derek started to pull back, catching Stiles bottom lips between his teeth, biting down as he continued to pull away, earning a loud moan from Stiles.

Derek released Stiles lip and everything seemed to stand still between them. Both men were breathing heavily; Derek looked at Stiles, the younger man’s eyes boring into Derek’s. Derek couldn’t help letting his eyes travel down to Stiles’ parted lips, red and swollen. Looking back into Stiles’ eyes he caught the younger man taking in Derek’s body. Derek could help but smirk at the look of need and want in Stiles’ eyes.

Derek took a step back from Stiles and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, lifting it over his head and tossing it to the side. Derek immediately felt Stiles’ hands on his chest, lightly touching his skin, letting his finger run over Derek already erect nipples.

“You’re so fucking hot.” Stiles groaned moving his head forward, lips connecting at the pulse point in Derek’s neck. Stiles hand worked their way down Derek’s abdomen, gliding across his hard abs until they reached the band of his sweat pant.

Stiles groaned into Derek’s neck—licking and biting as he did. Derek felt his breath hitch when he felt Stiles’ thumbs dip in under his waist band. The rest of the younger man’s hands followed, gripping his hips and slowly manoeuvring Derek out of his sweats.

Derek shiver slightly, feeling goosebumps spread up his legs as the cool air hit his skin as his pants fell around his ankles. Stiles moved from Derek’s neck and started kissing upward across Derek’s jaw line to his lips. Derek felt a whimper escape his lips into Stiles’ mouth and the younger man finally touched Derek’s hot cock.

“You’re so fucking wet Derek.” Stiles broke the kiss and groaned as he grabbed Derek, squeezing gently.

“I want you so fucking bad Stiles.” Derek groaned and crashed his lips and the younger man’s rocking his hips into Stiles hand. Stiles moaned into the kiss, rubbing Derek’s cock with some urgency. Derek moaned loudly, trying to rock into the motions of Stiles’ hand. Stiles broke the kiss and started to make his way down Derek jaw toward his neck kissing along the way.

Stiles nipped and sucked his way down to Derek’s chest. Reaching one of Derek nipples he kissed it before using his tongue to circle around the nipples, teasing Derek. Derek moaned even louder this time. Stiles had found out very quickly how sensitive Derek’s nipples were. He would always latch on to them, driving Derek to the brink, so bad that one time Derek had actually come in his pants. Derek couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t told Stiles about it happening, feeling a little embarrassed about the fact all the guy had to do was tease his nipples and it made Derek shoot, not even needing to be touched down there.

It was probably one of the hottest things Derek has ever experienced.

Stiles moved from one nipple to the other, sucking on it gently, placing it between his teeth and biting down roughly.

“Oh fuck!” Derek hissed in pain or pleasure, he couldn’t tell but his hips bucked forward and his cock throbbed painfully.

Stiles groaning loudly, clearly enjoying the reaction Derek gave him. Stiles had finally released Derek’s nipple, giving it a quick lick and blowing on it gently, making Derek shudder. Stiles moved his way down Derek chest, licking down the line between Derek’s abs into Derek’s belly button. Derek moaned and squirmed at the sensation. Stiles chuckled lightly, moving back up Derek’s body and started kissing along Derek’s abs. He slowly started to make his way down towards Derek’s bulge, which Derek was pretty sure has never been as hard as it is now.

Stiles placed a lightly tentative kiss on the head of Derek’s cock, which was still over by his briefs and soaked with precum.

“God Derek, you’re so fucking wet.” Stiles groaned as he used his tongue to lick the material stretched over his cock.

“You taste so fucking good.” Derek up until this point was _trying_ to be quiet, but failing horribly. Hearing that come from Stiles’ lips, Derek couldn’t help the loud moan that escaped him. He hoped Laura had put ear plugs in or something.

“You like the way my cock tastes?” Derek growled, remembering that Stiles enjoyed a bit of dirty talk just as much as he did. Stiles groaned into Derek’s dick, almost at the base, licking and kissing his way down the shaft.

Stiles hands had made it way to the waist band of Derek’s briefs. Derek gasped slightly as the cool air hit his extremely hot cock. Stiles slowly pulled the briefs down, kissing Derek’s patch of trimmed public hair, until Stiles let the material fall around Derek’s ankles.

“Jesus Derek, you’re so big.” Derek could help but chuckle at that. He knew he was bigger than average, but was more modest about his size, compared to other men who flaunt it.

“Do you like that?” Derek said hoarsely. Derek grabbed his cock at the base and rubbing the tip against Stiles’ lips, smearing the bead of precum that had gathered at the tip over Stiles lips.

Stiles licked his lips, tongue slowly swiping over his bottom lip, then to his top. It took Derek all his will power to not grab Stiles’ head and shove his cock right down the younger mans throat. Stiles groaned and knocked Derek’s hand off his own cock, grabbing it and griping it tightly.

Derek watched as Stiles licked the tip of his cock playfully. Derek groaned, leaning forward to brace himself against the closed door, feeling his knees weakening.

“Stiles.” Derek moaned Stiles’ name, watching the younger man tease the tip of his cock with tongue.

“Stop teasing me, please.” Derek managed to whimper. He was normally all for taking things slow and having a nice build up, but this has been building up for a while now and Derek couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Stiles took that as his sign to try and swallow Derek whole. Derek threw his head back in a silent cry, feeling his cock hit the back of Stiles throat, hearing the younger man gag.

“We have to move to the bed.” Derek said as he felt every inch of Stiles hot mouth and watched the younger man start to work back up, then down his cock.

Stiles released Derek’s cock a moment later with a popping noise. Derek groaned, kicking off his sweats and briefs that gather at around his ankles. Derek moved over the bed, lying back and getting himself comfortable. He looked up at Stiles who was getting off his knees and heading towards Derek.

“You’re not naked enough.” Derek grinned and watched Stiles blush. It blew Derek’s mind a little at the fact that boy could do what he has been doing, but still blush at the thought of being naked with someone else.

Stiles grabbed his shirt and quickly pulled it up over his head. Derek couldn’t help but lick his lips as he watched Stiles muscles contract at the movement, wanting to taste every inch of his body. Stiles worked his pants off, unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper and letting them fall to the floor. Derek couldn’t take his eyes off Stiles’ erection as the boy kicked off his pants.

“I don’t think you have to worry about me being too much bigger than you.” Derek said, looking at Stiles’ sizeable piece trapped in his boxer briefs. The boy grinned, thumbing at the waist band of his underwear, slowing pulling them down. Derek watched as Stiles released his cock, coming up and slapping against his stomach.

Stiles was over to Derek in seconds, crawling on top of the man, slotting his leg between Derek’s thighs, kissing him gently.

“You’re perfect.” Derek said, looking into Stiles eyes. Stiles grinned and kissed Derek lips quickly, then started to work his way down to Derek’s cock, kissing along the way.

Stiles didn’t waste any time and immediately put Derek back into his mouth. Derek groaned loudly as Stiles started to suck him slow and deep, tongue flickering on the underside of the head of Derek’s cock.

“There is no way you haven’t done this before.” Derek whined pathetically. Stiles started to change his rhythm, twisting his head slightly, changing the angle of which his mouth worked up and down Derek’s cock.

“That good?” Stiles asked, releasing Derek cock from his mouth, kissing his way down Derek’s shaft.

“Oh fuck yes.” Derek growled and Stiles took Derek’s balls into his mouth, sucking on them gently. Derek was officially sure that this was probably the best blowjob he had ever received.

“I guess all the porn I’ve watched has really paid off.” Stiles said, working his way up Derek’s shaft. Derek could help the wave of possessiveness and jealousy that crashed over him at the thought of Stiles watching other men get off.

Stiles was his and he certainly didn’t need to watch porn anymore, especially with Derek around.

Derek ran his finger through Stiles hair, guiding the man back onto his cock. Derek mewed as Stiles went back to working his shaft up and down. He grabbed Stiles head, stopping his movements. Derek then started to move his hips up and down, fucking his way into Stiles mouth, groaning at how much the younger man was able to take of him.

Stiles grabbed Derek hands off his head after a few moments and put them back on the bed. Stiles grabbed Derek hips, pushing them down mattress, stilling any kind of movements. Derek looked down at Stiles and watched as the man began to bob up and down on Derek’s cock once more. Stiles removed one of his hands off Derek’s hips, gripping the base of the shaft Stiles. Derek moaned loudly, gripping his sheets as Stiles began to furiously work his cock. Derek watched as Stiles put his mouth to his hand as he used both to go up and down Derek’s shaft. Derek moaned at the feeling of someone riding him, the feeling of Stiles stroking his shaft, gripping in all the right places as Derek’s cock continually plunged into Stiles mouth. It didn’t take long at this rhythm before Derek felt that overwhelming flutter in his stomach.

“Stiles, I’m going to come.” Derek warned Stiles, but the younger man groaned and only worked faster. Derek felt everything tense, pleasure overwhelming him as approached his release, coming right down Stiles throat.

Derek saw stars, vision blacking out for a moment as his body rode out his orgasm, his arms and leg jerking relentlessly. After blinking a few times Derek eyes started to function, he looked down at Stiles and actually groaned, all over again. The younger man was using his thumb to wipe the cum that he couldn’t swallow off his face and then started to lick it off.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any hotter.” Derek couldn’t help but chuckled when Stile closed his lips around his thumb, over dramatically rolling his eye into the back of his head.

“Get up here.” Derek motioned Stiles upwards. The younger man moved up his body kissing Derek on the lips. Derek groaned into the kiss, pushing his tongue into Stiles mouth, tasting himself. In a swift movement Derek flipped them around, lying on top of Stile forcing him into the bed, pinning his arm over his head.

“My turn” Derek grinned, releasing Stiles and started to kiss his way down Stiles chest. Derek teased Stiles a little, licking his nipples and his way down Stiles abdomen. Derek didn’t have the patience to draw this out; he really needed to taste Stiles. There will be plenty of future sex where Derek would make Stiles fall to pieces.

Derek reached Stiles cock and wasted no time taking him completely in his mouth. One thing Derek ‘forgot’ to tell Stiles was his lack of gag reflex. Derek took the younger man whole and Stiles almost shot out of the bed, a cry escaping his lips.

“Derek!” Stiles gasped. Derek ignored the boy and went to work on him. He felt the man gush precum into his mouth and Derek could help but swallow it down, loving the taste of Stiles on his tongue. Derek started to work Stiles cock, long and swift movements up and down the shaft. Derek placed his hands on Stiles hips to keep him still and swallowed his cock whole every time he went down.

“Derek, I’m—I’m not going to last much longer.” Derek started changing the direction of his head, flicking it to the side and he slid Stiles cock down his throat. Derek was impressed Stiles hadn’t come already; this was one thing Derek knew he was extremely good at and it being Stiles first time. Derek hadn’t expect Stiles to last long, especially how worked up Derek knew Stiles had gotten by blowing him.

Stiles began to babble incoherently—the only thing that made sense was Derek’s name, which Stiles kept crying out, pleading with Derek to give him release. Derek felt Stiles harden even more on his tongue—if that were even possible. Derek knew Stiles was close.

“Der—I’m—I’m.” Stiles barely gave Derek any notice before he was coming down Derek throat. Derek couldn’t do anything but swallow spurt after spurt of Stiles’ cum, hitting the back of his throat.

Once Stiles was spent Derek let Stiles cock fall from his mouth, giving it lazy licks, watching Stiles jerk and shake every time Derek hit a sensitive area.

Derek crawled up Stiles’ body and gave the boy a slow wet kiss, one that Stiles returned enthusiastically.

Derek collapsed beside Stiles, pulled the boy closer to him. Stiles rested he head on Derek’s chest, wrapping his arm around his waist and legs tangled in Derek’s.

“That was amazing.” Stiles whispered, probably still trying to comprehend that it had actually happened.

“More than amazing, I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a blow job like that in my entire life.” Derek said; pleased at the smile that was crossing Stiles’ lips.

“I’m glad I you liked it, I’ll be more than willing to do it again soon.” Derek chuckled, grabbing the blanket and covering them both with it. It was starting to get cold, especially with their sweat drying on their skin.

“I should probably go home soon.” Stiles said sadly, reminding Derek that it was a school night, for both of them. Derek sighed, wrapping his arms around Stiles pulling him closer into his chest. After the day that they both seemed to have, they needed this. They need this comfort in each other and even though the responsible thing would be to send Stiles on his way, Derek didn’t want to give it up.

“Just rest for a bit, it isn’t too late.” Stiles hummed in agreement, completely in a state of bliss. Derek relaxed and closed his eyes, letting his post orgasm really sink in.

It was only moments later that Stiles breathing slowed and evened out, indicating that the boy had fallen asleep.

Despite Derek’s attempts on trying to fight it, he started to drift off, the feel of Stiles against his skin, the smell in his nose and the taste of the younger man on his tongue. Derek let himself succumb to the warmth that surrounded him.


	11. Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! It has been forever and I am so sorry! I suck, big time! I had a major writers block. I feel like it was mostly due too just being low on energy, because school has been sucking me dry. But I pulled something together for you guys. It took a while, forcing myself to write bits and pieces here and there when I had time (After midnight, when I had to be up at six). This chapter, things step up even more. Actually you guys can expect things to build and build right to the very end. Which, I want to talk about. I've have recieved a few message of people worried that I have given up and as you can see with this update I haven't and I won't. It may take me time to pump out a chapter, but I am commited to finishing this story. There is nothing worse this reading a fic and then have it remained unfinished. I hate it when writers do that and I promised myself I would never do it so I don't plan on it myself. I just wanted say thank you to everyone who has reviewed and messaged me! You guys are all awesome and the encouragement helps me in ways I can't explain! Also a big thanks to ilovethesoundoftherain for being the beta for this chapter, as well as some of the earlier chapters! Which I well post the edited versions some time soon so no one has to read any more of my inabilities with the English language. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Yours

_Stiles_

Stiles awoke to the sound of chirping birds, he heard himself groan, cursing the tweet-tweet noise. He gripped Derek’s body tighter, snuggling closer, relishing in the warmth coming from Derek. Stiles closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the morning light and the sounds of the birds by burying his face further into Derek’s neck. Stiles inhaled deeply through his nose, still picking up the subtle smell of Derek’s cologne. It surprised Stiles that he was still able to smell it after spending the night in Derek’s bed, considering Derek is all he could smell. It was the realization that Stiles had spend the night, and that it was, in fact, the morning actually sank into Stiles still sleepy mind. Stiles’ eyes shot wide open and he tried to clamber out of bed, falling over Derek when the sheets got tangled in his legs and feet.

“What’s wrong?” Derek mumbled as Stiles fell from the bed to the floor with a loud thud.

“Look outside Derek!” Stiles said scrambling off the floor, frantically searching the room trying to find where his clothes ended up.

It was a moment before Stiles heard Derek swear under his breath and Stiles finally found his underwear and shirt.

“When does your father get home from his shift?” Stiles shrugged on his underwear quickly, glancing towards Derek’s alarm clock.

“Oh god, half an hour ago.” Stiles said frantically, shoving his shirt over his shoulders and grabbed his pants off the floor. Stiles was in full panic mode. He had no idea what he was going to tell his father. Stiles didn’t need to look at his phone to know there were probably several texts and missed calls from him.

“Stiles, you need to calm down.” Stiles heard Derek say, but ignored the man, trying to feverishly button his pants. Stiles really couldn’t calm down right now, he couldn’t clear his mind enough to even think of a lie to tell his father. Not that it would even matter, his father was a human lie detector anyways, his only hope would be his father that maybe-- just maybe his father hadn’t looked in on him and decided to just go to bed. Stiles then quickly remembered that his Jeep was missing from his driveway.

“Fuck.” Stiles swore running his hands down over his face. Stiles heard Derek sigh from the bed as he lifted himself up, still completely naked Stiles couldn’t help but notice as he walked over to Stiles, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Just breathe.” Derek whispered in his ear and Stiles took a deep breath. Breathing into Derek’s chest, taking in his scent letting the older man wash over him, feeling the older man rub circles into his back soothingly. Stiles slowly felt himself calm and melt into Derek’s embrace, all the tension leaving his body.

“You’re going to be the end of me.” Stiles muttered into Derek’s chest, smiling when he felt a rumble of laughter.

“How so?” Stiles lifted his head off Derek’s chest and looked into the older man eyes.

“Cause you’re naked and I shouldn’t be getting turned on by it when my father is probably minutes away from calling in the whole police force to try and find me.” Derek just grinned at Stiles, leaning forward and gently placing a kiss against his lips.

“How are you so calm?” Stiles asked when Derek pulled away. The older man just shrugged, a silly smile spreading across his face.

“No idea, probably something to do with last night and how I got to spend it with you.” Stiles rolled his eyes playfully. Putting the panic about what he was going to say to his father aside, he did feel really good. He wasn’t exactly calm, given the situation but there was definitely some happiness, a positivity he never felt before, he felt good. 

Stiles couldn’t help but let his gaze drift to Derek’s semi hard cock. He looked into Derek’s eyes to see his pupils blown wide. He watched Derek’s tongue slowly run over his bottom lip, his gaze getting hungrier by the second. Stiles felt himself gravitate towards Derek, his hand immediately reach for Derek’s now erect cock, the other to the back of Derek’s head, pulling him in for a kiss. Stiles moaned into Derek’s mouth as he took over the kiss, his lips crashing against Stiles’ furiously. Stiles felt Derek lick his way into his mouth, a deep throated moan emitted from the older man and all Stiles could do was whimper, more blood rushing to his already aching cock.

All thoughts about heading home had completely left Stiles mind, at this point what was an extra few minutes; he was dead meat anyways. Stiles broke the kiss, trapping Derek’s bottom lip between his teeth, biting down gently, lapping his tongue over it. Derek groaned loudly, thrusting his leaking cock into Stiles’ hand.

Stiles released Derek’s lip and kissed his way down Derek’s jaw, towards the pulse point in his neck. Stiles bit down sharply, earning a scream from Derek, Stiles wasn’t sure if it was pain or pleasure, he honestly didn’t care at this point. Stiles started to match the Derek’s thrusts with his hand, completely slicked with the older man’s precum. Stiles couldn’t help but love the feel of Derek hot and heavy in his hand. Stiles gently grazed the head with his hand as Derek fucked into his hand, tightening his grip as he moved down towards the base, getting a rhythm down.

Derek growled, violently shoving Stiles against the wall, lips crashing against Stiles’ hungrily. Stiles stilled his hand and let Derek fuck his hand roughly, the older man’s thigh brushing up against Stiles’ own jean clad erection. Derek broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Stiles’, his hot breath hitting stiles in the face.

“I want to fuck you so bad.” Derek said breathlessly, hips darting quicker now.

“I think about it all the time.” Stiles groaned out, looking directly into Derek lust filled eyes.

“I think about you taking me on your desk. Just bending me over and shoving your thick cock into me raw.” Stiles panted, the friction from Derek and his pants was becoming overwhelming.

“I want to feel how tight you are Stiles, take you so many different ways, and fuck you so hard that you can only remember my name.” Derek’s thrusts had started to become erratic, Stiles knew he was close.

“I want to feel you in me so badly Derek,” Stiles whimpered, feeling his orgasm build, eyes never leaving Derek’s.

“I want you to shoot so far in me Derek. I want feel you cock pulse in me. I want to feel the pressure of you filling me with your cum. Oh, fuck! Derek I want—I –I” Stiles voice broke as his hips jerked against Derek violently coming in his pants. Derek came immediately after, mouth opened in a silent scream. Stiles felt ropes of Derek’s hot cum cover his hand as the older man jerked violently against Stiles.

Derek slumped against Stiles, their bodies flushed, pressed against the wall. A few minutes pasted and all Stiles could focus on was their heavy panting and the feel of Derek hot breath on his neck.

“I think you’ve awakened a beast.” Derek muttered into Stiles neck and couldn’t help but laugh.

“I hope you’re not talking about your dick because I don’t think I would be able to date you anymore.” Derek chuckled and lifted himself from Stiles and braced himself against the wall, arms on either side of Stiles’ head.

“No seriously. I refuse to call your dick ‘the beast’.” Derek burst out laughing, resting his forehead against Stiles’.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just, I really can’t stop touching you.” Stiles looked into Derek’s eyes, the green-grey colour that Stiles love finally returning.

“I don’t want to stop touching you.” Derek whispered, leaning forward and catching Stiles in a gentle kiss, lips barely touching.

Derek stepped away from Stiles, grinning at the younger man. Stile smiled back finally pushing himself from against the wall. Stiles couldn’t help but think about maybe doing this with Derek every time he was going to have a freak out session. He knew his father would probably end him when he gets home, but Stiles was experiencing too much bliss to really worry about it. It was too late to avoid it at this point and he needed to face the inevitable. Stiles grimaced when he felt the wetness of his cum that was coating pretty much everything inside his underwear. He took a step forward and felt the wetness on his thighs.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked, catching the disgusted look Stiles was wearing on his face.

“Well, you had the wall and my hand to come on. I—uh.” Stiles gestured towards his crotch, indicating to Derek that the older man had made him come in his pants. Derek had stopped putting the sweat pants he found on the floor on, leaving them resting dangerously low on his waist. Stiles could help but find is just as sexy as not having them on to begin with, Derek’s bulge blatantly sticking out.

“I made you come in your pants?” Derek grinned and Stiles felt his face get hot, a blush flushing across his face. Stiles nodded weakly and Derek pulled him across his naked chest, nosing at the nape of Stiles’ neck.

“You should probably leave before I tie you to my bed.” Derek groaned, pressing his lips against Stiles’ neck, kissing it gently. Stiles couldn't help the chuckled that escaped his lips.

“Why do I get the feeling that this is a type of foreshadowing?” Derek groaned a little, nipping at Stiles neck now.

“I’m serious about you going Stiles. I’m ready for round two, but you need to be getting home.” Stiles  was almost ready for round two himself and looking down are Derek’s cock, that had doubled in size since he looked last, which was literally a minute ago.

“What am I going to say to my father?” Derek took a step back and sighed. Stiles followed him in that sigh, lying wasn’t really an option, especially to his father. It was moments like this Stiles cursed that his father was the sheriff.

“Tell him the truth?” Stiles gapped at him.

“You are joking, right?” Derek just shrugged and scooped a shirt from the floor and shrugged it on over his head.

“Just tell him you met someone. Don’t need to get specific but you were spending time with him and you fell asleep.” Which is the truth, Stiles filled in. He could say that and it might work, he might have some awkward questions to answer, but it will work.

“Okay, okay—that could work.” Stiles moved quickly towards Derek and pecked him on the lips and headed for the door.

“If I stay any longer, I’ll never get home! See you at school!” Stiles heard Derek chuckle as he descended the stairs.  Stiles caught a view of Laura in the dining room with a cup of coffee. She was giving Stiles the I-know-what-you-did-look.

“Shut up!” Stiles blushed and Laura cackled, winking at him. Stiles waved Laura off and checked the front pockets of his jeans, finding his keys that were in there. Stiles closed the Hales’ front door and headed to his Jeep. It was time to face the music, Stiles hoped that he made it to school today.

* * *

The sheriff was looking out the window as Stiles pulled into the drive way. Stiles swore under his breath. He was still silently hoping that his father had been oblivious to life and went directly to bed, but Stiles was never that lucky.

Stiles hadn’t even gotten out onto the porch before his father was standing in front of him, arms crossed, sheriff face on.

“Where were you?” Stiles paused, voice getting caught up in his throat and he silently kicked himself for doing so.

“No lies Stiles and you know I can tell.” Stiles sighed and walked past his dad and headed into the kitchen. Using this time to try and think of something to say to his father, trying to word it properly. Stiles reached into the fridge for a bottle of water.

“Stiles.” Stiles’ father said more sternly, following Stiles in to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry dad, I just lost track of time.” The Sheriff gave Stiles a look that told him that he best keep talking, for his health.

“I met someone.” Stiles said quickly and his father visibly faltered.

“It’s not what you think. I only just met him, so nothing like that is going on. I went over there last night to watch a movie and we both fell asleep. I swear that’s all there was. I didn’t mean to spend the night. You know me; I don’t do things like that purposely, if I am going to be out late, I let you know.” Stiles father sighed and uncrossed his arms, the sheriff face dropped and the anger left his eyes. The sheriff pulled his son in for a hug.

“Try not to let it happen again. You had me worried sick.” The Sheriff patted Stiles’ back and Stiles returned the hug.

“So, this guy…” The Sheriff started, breaking the embrace.

“When do I get the meet him?” Stiles froze in place and Stiles’ first thought was that his dad won’t be meeting Derek for a long time.

“I don’t know, it’s all up in the air and we are still getting to know each other. Getting to know the parent, especially the Sheriff might scare him off.” Stiles father chuckled.

“You know I’m not that bad.” Stiles laughed nervously, his dad probably wouldn’t be if his boyfriend wasn’t his teacher.

“You’ll meet him if it becomes something serious.” Stiles father nodded and Stiles sighed in relief, he couldn’t believe that he just got away with that.

“Well, I am hitting the hay, have a good day at school.” Stiles nodded towards his father and told him to have a good sleep. Stiles took his water and sat down at the kitchen table and took out his phone. He sent off a text to Derek letting him know that everything turned out okay and his dad wasn’t mad.

Stiles sighed and rested his head on the table. The sad part was that Stiles knew that his father would love Derek. Derek wasn’t one of those people that just looked good on paper, he actually was. Stiles knew Derek was what most parents hoped their children would find, someone who loved them, someone who treated them right, everything that Derek was to Stiles. Stiles knew that his and Derek’s relationship was serious enough to meet his father and he wanted both of them to meet. Stiles’ father was one of the most important people in Stiles’ life and Derek was starting to become another one them. Having to hide both men from each other was something that was going to hurt Stiles.

Stiles couldn’t shake the pit that had settled in stomach, with everything that was happening with Kate, Stiles knew it was only a matter of time before someone else found out about their relationship. Stiles just hoped it didn’t blow up in their face. Stiles was worried about Derek losing his job, Stiles didn’t want to be the reason for that. In the long run, Stiles knew they would be together or they would get through whatever happened, but the least amount of casualties would be better. Stiles knew that when his father did find out, because if Stiles was realistic, they probably won’t be able to keep it a secret till graduation. His father will never be able see Derek in the light he should. That is probably is the saddest part of this whole situation, what Derek is willing to give up. Stiles is an adult now. No one, not even his father could tell him what to do or who he should see, but in all honesty Derek has everything to lose. If and when people learn about their relationship, it’s going to be a long time before Derek is ever seen in a positive light again and his father will probably never respect him. That’s going to be a hard pill for Stiles to swallow and accept.

* * *

Stiles hadn’t even made it too the entrance of the school before Scott came running up to him.

“Stiles!” Stiles did his best to ignore him, opening the doors and walking inside, heading to his locker to grab his books for the first half of the day. The unfortunate part with trying to ignore Scott was it never worked, he was probably just as stubborn as Stiles is—that and the fact that Scott’s locker is next to Stiles’ didn’t help matter much either.

“Dude, you’re going to have to talk to me at some point.” Scott said brazenly. Stiles breathed out slowly, trying to keep his temper under control. He really didn’t have time for Scott today.

“Why would that be Scott?” Stiles slammed his locker shut, the bell started ringing, signalling students to start to head to their first period.

“Because we’re friends.” Scott said quietly and Stiles could help but throw his hands up in the air in frustration as he turned around and started to walk away from Scott.

The nerve of Scott to even say something like that to Stiles, after everything he had said and done. Stiles stopped walking away, turned around and immediately headed back towards where Scott was standing.

“It’s funny you say we’re friends, because I honestly had forgotten that you even understood what that meant.” Scott opened his mouth but Stiles shut him down immediately.

“People drift apart Scott, I understand that. But I never thought we would. I was always there for you, always there. I was there when you needed to endlessly complain about Allison parents; I was there when all you could talk about was her, I was there when you thought your relationship wasn’t going to make it. I supported you, I was there. Then the one time I needed you, the one time I needed my best friend, you weren’t there.” Stiles couldn’t help the break in his voice, to many strong emotions bubbling up in his chest all at once.

“I’m not talking about yesterday, when you blatantly laughed at Greenberg’s crude jokes in my face, I’m talking about when I told you I was gay and I literally felt you close off. Do you have any idea what that felt like? The one time I needed you to tell me it was okay and that nothing was going to change, the only time I needed my rock, the one time I needed _my_ Scott. The one I cried with when your dad left and cried with me when my mother died.” Stiles felt tears welling up in his eyes, he almost didn’t noticed the ones making their way down Scott’s cheeks.

“Where did he go? Can you tell me that Scott? Can you get him back? Erase everything that has happened, the times I’ve almost made myself sick worrying that I ruined our relationship, that me trying to accept who I was ruined what I had with one of the two people in my life that mattered the most to me.” Stiles wiped away his tears before they could fall, knowing it was time to get a control of his emotions. Luckily the hallway was empty besides him and Scott, so they didn’t have an audience.

“Can you tell me why I should bother anymore Scott?” Stiles asked and watched as Scott wiped the tears from his eyes, looking at Stiles with a sadness he had never seen before.

“I’ve made mistakes. I fucked up, but I’m not going to stop trying to fix this. I’m going to fix this Stiles, I’m going to fix us.” Scott looked at Stiles, sincerity written all across him and it made Stiles hurt, made his insides clench. Stiles wanted to believe him, he wanted too, but Stiles didn’t know if things were so far gone that there was nothing left to fix anymore. Scott straightened his school bag on his shoulder and left Stiles standing in the hall. Stiles let out a breath he didn’t realized he was holding, leaning against the lockers, running his hands down over his face.

“Well, that was a little high school.” Stiles didn’t have to look up to know who was speaking to him.

“Not that I was expecting anything less from you.” Stiles looked up to see Kate casually leaning on the lockers beside him. Stiles felt a rage immediately fill his chest. He felt violated, violated by the one person who should never make Stiles feel that way. The fact she witnessed what happened between him and Scott, witnessed Stiles in a moment of weakness, Stiles felt like she had something over him now, something she could use against him. The smugness she gave off was making Stiles sick to his core.

“Honestly, I’m not really surprised that Derek’s little girlfriend had a meltdown in the middle of the hallway.” Stiles stood bone still, fists clenching. He wasn’t going to let her get to him—he wasn’t. It would be better for everyone, if he just deals with what she had to say and get her to leave.

“What do you want?” Stiles spit out harshly, surprised by the venom in his voice. Kate quirked an eyebrow and pushed off the lockers, stepping closer to Stiles.

“Derek.” Kate replied smugly and it took all Stiles strength to not roll his eyes.

“I meant why you are here? Lingering around a high school, like some creeper.” Kate chuckled and shook her head, walking a few steps in front of Stiles, heels clicking on the floor.

“Well, I was seeing my niece off and I saw you storm into the building and I figured it would be a great opportunity to have a few words without your guard dog present.” Stiles knew he was referring to Laura, who would have probably taken her out by now. Who Stiles wishes was present because Kate would no longer be a problem.

“Too what? Tell me Derek is too much man for me to handle? That he needs a man eater like yourself to satisfy his needs?” Kate looked thoughtful for a moment and motioned to Stiles that is exactly what she was getting at.

“Not exactly how I would say it, but to bottom line it, yes.” Kate spoke, turning on her heels, looking down the hallway.

“Well trust me man eater, I’m a step up from whatever you think you are, especially when it comes to Derek.” Stiles snarled at Kate. He watched as she changed, from the smug, playful smile into something Stiles couldn’t place. It was like a flip switched in Kate, she whipped her head at Stiles, eyes narrowed, almost snake-like.

“You think so?” She got into Stiles’ face, at direct eye level. Stiles’ back was flush against the lockers, Kate merely inches away, eyes boring into his.

“I know so.” Stiles said firmly, but more importantly confidently. Stiles wasn’t afraid of Kate, she was trying to intimidate him. Trying to scare Stiles in hopes he’ll break it off with Derek. What she doesn’t know is that Derek doesn’t want any part of her, whether Stiles was in the picture or not.

“Want to know how I know?” Stiles glared right back at her.

“Instead of being a selfish cunt, I listen to Derek; I try to make him happy. A concept you never quite had a grasp on, from what I heard at least, maybe you need some rewiring upstairs, fix some of those incompetence's.” Stiles used his hand and pointed at his head, emphasizing his point.

“So, yes, I am pretty sure that I am a step up, a very big one from you.” Stiles smirked.

“Hell, even if it wasn’t me, the dog down the street would even be a step up.” Stiles tried not to flinch when Kate’s fist came slamming into the lockers beside his head.

“You got some nerve.” Kate growled.

“I got some nerve.” Stiles growled back, pushing himself up from the lockers, closing their distance even more.

“You whore yourself around like a starved animal and come crawling back to Derek in hopes to what? Hope he takes what you have to offer?” Stiles actually laughed in the woman’s face.

“I’m pretty sure you fucked away all you had to offer sweetheart.” There was a few moments of complete silence as Kate stood completely still, the look in her eyes trying tear Stiles apart where he stood. Stiles felt the satisfaction settle in his stomach, making his grin even wider.

“How about this?” Stiles started to suggest.

“Go down the hallway take a left and on the far end of that hallway is the principal’s office. Go in there and tell him about the student fucking Mr. Hale.” Kate looked at Stiles bewildered for a minute, like she was literally at a loss for words to deal with Stiles. Stiles knew he was gambling here, he knew that if she did listen to him and went down to the principal, Derek could likely lose his job.

“You really do have a pair, don’t ya kid. Here I thought you were some whiny little child.” Kate’s features changed in what Stiles could only describe as putting on a mask. She smiled brightly at Stiles, like her emotions completely flipped on a drop of a dime. Stiles got the feeling the violent, uncontrolled side was the one she spent her time trying to cover up with that smile.

“What would Derek say about this?” Stiles shrugged.

“I don’t care.” He stately simply and this only made Kate grin more.

“I highly doubt that sweetheart.”

“Want to test that?” Stiles stepped away from the locker and away from Kate.

“Go down there and tell the principal that you saw Derek Hale fucking one of his male students over a desk.” Stiles motioned down the hall this time, urging Kate to go.

“What are you waiting for?” Stiles asked Kate and waited for her response, knowing she wasn’t going to give him one.

“What to know what I think?” Stiles started.

“I think that if you go down there and tell them about our relationship, they won’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth. It’s your word against ours. All they’ll know is that your Derek’s not so stable ex trying to get back with him.” Kate was still grinning at him and Stiles just rolled his eyes, and made a move to leave, tired of dealing with her.

It was a quick movement and Kate had Stiles pressed up against the lockers, forearm across his throat, a look in her eyes that made Stiles feel like he was her prey. She had him pressed up against the lockers but not hard enough to cut off breathing.

“I like you.” Kate leaned in and whispered, breath hot it Stiles’ ear. Stiles tried to struggle against her hold but she only pressed against his throat tighter.

“Which means it’s going to be amazing when I steal Derek from you.” Kate bit Stiles’ ear and Stiles couldn’t help the hiss that escaped from his lips. Kate stepped back, releasing Stiles from her hold.

“Send Derek my love.” Kate never gave Stiles a chance to reply before she strutted down the hallway towards the entrance.

Stiles sighed putting all his weight against the lockers, scrubbing his hands over his face exhaling harshly. Stiles knew he never got rid of the Kate problem, but at least he maybe got her to back off for a little while. Stiles thought he might have helped save Derek’s job, as long as Kate doesn’t learn who Stiles’ father is or doesn’t gain any proof that they are together. Stiles knew they had to be extra careful for the next little while, no one else could know about him and Derek. Stiles also knew that he needed to be more careful when it came to Kate. She was dangerous and Stiles knew that for sure now. He knew that there was no way this woman was stable. Stiles learned enough from being the son of the sheriff to know when someone was off their rocker and Stiles could tell that Kate was a ticking time bomb.

“Stiles.” Stiles’ eyes widened immediately and turned towards where the voice came from, eyes locking with none other than Lydia Martin’s.

“What to explain what the fuck that was?” Stiles just sighed, in defeat this time. He honestly isn’t even surprised that Lydia was here and probably overheard everything. Stiles leaned forward and grabbed his backpack off the floor.

“Come on, I’ll buy you some breakfast.”

* * *

Stiles could literally kick himself in the head, actually he would very much like to kick Kate in the face. This was all her fault, the woman had no boundaries. If she had cornered Stiles in some alleyway like some normal creeper then maybe Stiles wouldn’t be sitting across Lydia who hasn’t spoken since they left the school. If she didn’t speak soon, Stiles was going to have a full on meltdown.

Kate knowing that Derek and Stiles were together was one thing, but Lydia knowing was a total disaster. At least with Kate, Stiles rationalized, she was predictable. They knew what she wanted, but with Lydia, no one knew what this girl wanted. Stiles had no idea what Lydia was going to do with all this information and Stiles knew that Lydia could probably do a lot more damage than Kate ever could. Sure his opinion was bias, but the manipulation Stiles pulled on Kate back at the school; he would never be able to do that to Lydia, she would know better.

“Jesus Stiles, are you going to say something or are we going to stretch out this for another 20 minutes.” Lydia finally broke, rolling her eyes at Stiles, letting her annoyance with this whole situation come in.

“What do you want me to say?” Stiles asked, taking the straw from his milkshake he ordered when they arrived at the diner in his mouth, not actually having the stomach to actually drink it.

“I want to know what that was all about back there! No lies, you know I’ll know.” Stiles bit down on straw and sighed.

“What do you want to know?” Stiles said releasing the straw. He didn’t know what Lydia knew exactly or what she had overheard in the hallway, Stiles could hopefully spin this with her finding out as little as possible.

“Well for starters how about why Allison’s aunt had you pushed up against the lockers by your throat.” Kate. Kate Argent? Kate was Allison’s aunt.

“Oh, and maybe you could explain to me when you started fucking Mr. Hale.” Stiles had choked on air at Lydia’s blunt choice of words.

“Okay, for starters, I’m not fucking Der—I mean Mr. Hale.” Lydia gave him an incredulous look, like she couldn’t believe Stiles was even going to attempt this shit right now.

“Oh please Stiles, you guys basically eye fuck each other all class.” Stiles wanted to call Lydia on her bluff because Stiles made it a goal to see how long he could keep his eyes off Derek in class and he did really well. But tell her this or that he doesn’t eye fuck Derek (which he does) would somehow in her mind be admitting they did. Either way, Stiles knew that there was no way out of this conversation now.

“Okay, okay, listen to me, can I trust you?” Stiles posed the question.

“You said you were another person that cared about me—in your own twisted way, but I don’t see any other choice right now, so can I?” Lydia left her expression blank and shrugged her shoulders.

“If you have no other choice then why does it matter if you can trust me or not.” This what Stiles hated about Lydia, everything was always a game and she didn’t even realize that someone’s career and a relationship was in the balance.

“Well, the less you know the better.” Stiles replied simply and Lydia just sighed.

“Listen Stiles, I already knew. I mean, you both are extremely conscious about it and can hid it well, but I can tell by the way Mr. Hale looks at you, the man is totally head over heels for you and I—I don’t want to ruin that. I want to help.” Stiles was actually staring at Lydia in disbelief. He couldn’t understand the woman, for the life of him, he doesn’t understand.

“Why do you want to help Lydia? Why me? You keep telling me you care about my well being for some unknown reason.”

“Honestly, I look at you and I see who you are Stiles. You’re a kind and sweet guy; you’re loyal and smart, smart enough to give me a run for my money. You’re brave. It took me a while to see that. I know I’m not the most approachable person and half the guys that think they like me wouldn’t dream about acting on it. You did. You asked me to dances, you constantly made a fool of yourself and that does take a lot guts for a guy our age. You stood up for yourself against probably one of few people who you could call a friend. You stood up for who you are in the locker room yesterday. You also stood up for Mr. Hale today.” Lydia reached over and took Stiles’ hand in hers.

“My motives are always questionable, because that is who people think I am, but if you take the time to get to know me, I’m not this calculating bitch you think I am.” Lydia released Stiles hand, and drank some of her strawberry milkshake.

“I want to help you because what I saw back there wasn’t the act of some immature tool that most of the guys in our school are. It was you defending someone you care about and the relationship you have with him. I want to help, because I can see with my own two eyes how much you guys care about each other. Given the circumstances and what I think I know what you’re about to face, you need someone in your corner, someone who isn’t just Mr. Hale.” Stiles was actually speechless and didn’t know what to even say to the strawberry blonde sitting in front of him.

“When I was a kid and I imagined my prince, I wasn’t going to accept anything less than royalty back then.” Lydia just smiled thinking back. Stiles couldn’t help the smile the broke across his lips, knowing Lydia was probably had everything written down to the detail. What it would be like to fall in love, her prince’s looks and every moment of her wedding planned out.

“I pictured what he might be like and you’re kind of it. If I wasn’t so in love with my idiot of a boyfriend, I’d want to find a person who was like you.” Stiles couldn’t actually help the flush that overcome him. That was probably one of the nicest things someone had ever said to him and from Lydia no less.

“So why do I want to help? I can tell that your Mr. Hale’s prince and I can say with some confidence, he is yours too. This Kate, whoever she thinks she is, isn’t going to get in the way of that. I’ll make sure of that. I know I’m letting my hopeless romantic side show, but everyone deserves their prince Stiles.” Stiles smiled shyly. Derek was Stiles’ prince. Stiles couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for him and in thinking that Stiles couldn’t help it when he felt his heart skip a beat

“I also get to plan the wedding. You’ll owe me that.” Lydia’s smile faded immediately, serious tone in her voice. Stiles could help but chuckled a little, because that was the Lydia he knew.

“Give me a chance to get to the wedding first.” Stiles leaned forward and took a sip from his milkshake.

Stiles couldn’t help but loosen up around Lydia after this. He felt like he was in the twilight zone, like there was no way this was Lydia and that this was real at all. Stiles felt he should take a chance and tell Lydia about Derek and the only place to start was from the beginning. Stiles told her about how he did his best to ignore anything that came from Derek’s mouth, which ultimately was the reason why he ended up getting private lessons with him to make up for his grade. Stiles talked about how comfortable he became with Derek because he was so easy to talk to. Sure he was nervous as hell but Stiles got comfortable and things took a life of their own at that point. The teasing, comments and just the longing looks they were giving each other. Stiles told Lydia about Derek’s sister tricking them into all having dinner together.

“He did not!” Lydia’s eyes were bright and wide when she learned that Derek kissed him first, in the rain after the dinner.

“He did, I’m pretty sure he never meant too. I nearly had a meltdown afterwards.” Stiles chuckled and Lydia nodded with him.

“Yeah, even I’d be reeling after that one. Who knew your life was so scandalous Stilinski?” Stiles rolled his eyes, even though he knew it was the truth. Stiles told her about the conversation they had about feeling things out, to see if a relationship was something that would be worth pursuing considering the relationship they were technically supposed to maintain. Stiles told her that he went to Derek’s after the fight at the lake, and the trip they had taken the next day.

“Derek was buying gas for your Jeep that day at the gas station. I noticed him staring at you while we were waiting in line. I knew I heard him pay for your gas but I couldn’t be sure.” Stiles chuckled, nodding. Stiles guessed Derek did have to worry about Lydia and he was honestly surprised she never said anything about it before.

“He freaked out a little, he thought you knew. You have that affect on people you know that, right? It’s like you look right into their soul and see everything they don’t want to be seen.” Lydia smiled at Stiles innocently, batting her eyelashes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Stiles just scoffed.

“Does Scott know about you and Derek?” Stiles gave Lydia a confused look.

“At the lake, he knew you were with someone, that’s what started the argument remember?” Lydia explained.

“Oh, no he doesn’t. Derek left a gift in my locker and Scott saw it and overreacted.” Lydia mouth made an ‘oh’ shape and Stiles felt his phone buzz.

 **You’re not in class. Neither is Lydia. Please tell me these two things aren’t connected.** Stiles sighed and replied to Derek telling him that they were and he would explain later when Derek was done classes for the day.

“Lover boy?” Lydia asked and Stiles just nodded.

“We are supposed to be in his class right now and he noticed that were both missing, he asked hoping they both weren’t connected.” Lydia rolled her eyes.

“He’s not going to get his panties all bunch up because I know right?” Stiles just shrugged.

“I don’t know. He won’t be happy, but it’s all we can do now.” Stiles knew that Derek suspected that Lydia knew something. Stiles is hoping that he won’t react too poorly to the news.

 **Should I be freaking out right now?**  Stiles could help but chuckle at this.

 _No, everything is fine. I had a run in with Kate this morning at school and Lydia was a witness. We skipped to talk about what happened. Everything is fine and I am okay, I’ll talk to you about it later. Don’t you have a class to be teaching right now?_ Stile replied and Derek response was almost immediate.

**You better tell me everything that happened.**

**I do, but it isn’t the same. I don’t have my boyfriend to fantasize about while giving my lecture.** Stiles couldn’t help the blush that was creeping on his cheeks and Stiles heard Lydia huff.

“Okay, stop whatever you are doing; I don’t need things to get awkward.” Stiles rolled his eyes at the girl.

“Whatever Lydia, we both know you get off on this stuff.” Lydia gave Stiles the look, lifting an eyebrow in his direction.

“Stilinski, tell your very respectful teacher-boyfriend to talk to you later! We still have things to talk about.” Stiles laughed, texting Derek telling him that he’ll text him when he was free. Stiles would probably head over to Derek’s place if Laura was home and wait for him there. Stiles also took this opportunity to send a text to his father. Letting him know they he left school today because his friend received some bad news and he was consoling her. He also said that he knew he was already walking a fine line and he was going to make up everything he has missed today in class.

“So how does Kate enter this story?” Stiles just shrugged at Lydia.

“Kate is Derek’s ex and long story short. She cheated on him, he left her and that was supposed to be the end of the story. But now she is back and wants him back.” Stiles wished that the end of the story was Kate staying wherever she was too.

“How does she know about you guys?” Stiles sighed, she knew because they were stupid and reckless.

“We were stupid and she saw us kiss. She is trying to blackmail Derek, but he doesn’t want any part of it. He told her she can do whatever she wants, because he isn’t going to get back with her. As far as I know she doesn’t have proof of me and Derek. It’s why I told her to the principle earlier, because Derek and I will deny any allocations of a relationship. Then she just looks like the crazy ex that is trying to make Derek’s life miserable.” Lydia just nodded, grabbed her phone and immediately rolled her eyes.

“Jackson is wondering where I am, he noticed I wasn’t in school today.” Stiles looked down at his phone and noticed it soon would be lunchtime

“I should probably get you back to school before lunch starts.” Lydia just nodded. Stiles didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself. If he and Lydia are seen together outside of school, a few eyebrows would be raised and Stiles just wants to fly under the radar.

“I’ll look into Kate more for you; find out why she is really here.” Stiles went to object and Lydia put her hand up to silence him.

“I’m doing it whether you object to it or not. We need to get this bitch out town as fast as possible.” Stiles just sighed and nodded. Lydia and Allison where good friends so it would be unbelievably easy for Lydia to worm her way in and get a read on Kate.

“Fine but be careful. She is clearly unstable and I don’t want you getting hurt because of all this.” Lydia just rolled her eyes and stood up.

“Trust me. I can handle myself.” Stiles didn’t have a doubt in his mind. Put Kate and Lydia in a ring, Stiles couldn’t even imagine the outcome.

* * *

The school was out for lunch when Stiles and Lydia pulled into student parking lot. Stiles made the executive decision to head back into school, stopping by Derek’s classroom and see if he was in. Stiles decided that if he didn’t run into Derek he would probably just head over to his place. Stiles had texted Laura after they left the diner and she said she didn’t care, she didn’t have any plans at today.

“Text me if you find out anything.” Stiles said to Lydia before they parted ways, Lydia going off to meet Jackson in the cafeteria.

“Will do.” She nodded and Stiles just smiled. It was weird, this side of Lydia, but he could totally get used to this friendship. Stiles had honestly had fun at the diner. It was nice to talk to someone that wasn’t Derek about Derek. It was nice to have time to be able to swoon over him with someone else, tell someone their story and not have to hide it. Stiles hated he couldn’t let the world know that Derek was his and that Derek couldn’t tell anyone that Stiles was his.

“Stiles,” Lydia said, just before she was turning to head down the hallway.

“I know you’re worried, but this is going to work out. I promise. The situation is shit and I honestly don’t know what will become of it, but I have a good feeling about you and Derek. That part of this equation isn’t one you need to worry about.” Stiles smiled and resisted the urge to pull the girl into a hug, but the weird looks they were given as they walked into school together didn’t go unnoticed. Plus Lydia had a reputation as a cold hearted bitch to maintain.

Stiles mouthed a thank you and Lydia turned on her heels and strutted down the hallways. Stiles shook his head laughing and jogged his way towards Derek’s classroom.

Stiles was in luck when he saw his teacher/boyfriend sitting at his desk, eating gummy worms… for lunch, with a can of root beer on his desk.

“I don’t understand how you have the body you do with the way you eat.” Stiles laughed when Derek jumped a little.

“You literally just took like 10 years off my life.” Derek sighed at him, the momentary panic leaving his eyes.

“Well that sucks, you’re already older than me, that’s 10 more years I don’t get to look at that handsome face.” Derek rolled his eyes and that made Stiles grin. He moved into the classroom and grabbed and seat and put it in front of Derek’s desk.

“I missed you in class today.” Stiles couldn’t help but give Derek a pouty face and the older man shoved at him playfully.

“Shut up, I am allowed to miss my boyfriend.” The melting feeling Stiles felt didn’t go unnoticed by himself at all, it was actually scaring him that he was enjoying this too much. Just something as simple as Derek saying that he missed him turned Stiles in a ball of goo. Stiles was starting to realize that Derek hadn`t flown under the wire but knocked down the whole power line and put it back together again.

“I missed you too.” Stiles said and barely resisted the urge to reach across the table and take Derek’s hand in his. He knew they had to be extremely careful now, especially with Kate lurking around; school had officially become a no touch zone.

“Are you going to tell me what happened today? With Kate? With Lydia?” Stiles exhaled more roughly then he intended and he couldn’t help but feel bad when he saw Derek flinch a little.

“Is it that bad?” Stiles was sure, there was some good, but a lot of bad.

“Do you promise not to hate me?” Stiles half-joked and Derek gave him a serious look.

“Promise, now tell me what happened?” Stiles sighed and ran down what happened earlier that day in the hallway. Stiles told Derek about what happened between him and Scott and how Kate over heard it. How she followed him in the school to have a one on one. He told Derek that she didn’t actually tell him anything they didn’t already know. Stiles told Derek that he told Kate to go to the principal’s office and tell the school about their relationship.

“You did what?” Stiles cringed a little, knowing Derek wouldn’t take that well.

“I know, I was caught in the moment, but I wanted to call her on her bluff. She is threatening your job, but without that she doesn’t have you. She has nothing to hold over you. I knew she wouldn’t do it.” Stiles tried to explain, but Derek remained silent, face angry.

“I told her to go down there and try it. I told her she’ll only look like some crazy ex making up excuses to get back at you.”

“You thought that was okay? To fork over my job like that, take that decision out of my hands.” Stiles could help but reel back a little from that. Stiles thought Derek had already made that decision. That Derek knew this was a consequence if anyone found out and told anyone. Stiles thought Derek accepted that. If Kate went and did it when Stiles told her, she’d only be doing something ahead of schedule as opposite to waiting around for her to do it.

“You made that decision already Derek, the night you kissed me in the rain for the first time.” Stiles counteracted, something flaring in his chest.

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have baited her like I did. But you can’t expect me to sit back while she is trying to take something that is _mine_. If you’re okay with her stomping over our lives and running and hiding every time she decides to show up that’s fine for you, but not for me.” Stiles was surprised at how even her kept his voice. He knew he was coming across heated, but given where they were in Derek’s classroom, shouting or even raised voices isn’t something you seen between teachers and students.

“You said you wanted us, whatever the consequence. This is a consequence Derek and I understand that it’s unfair that you might lose this.” Stiles raised both his arms, referencing Derek’s classroom.

“It doesn’t matter how it all goes down. If you deny her, she’ll report you. You know that. Did you think that trying to handle her with kiddy gloves and tip toeing around was going to cut it for this woman?” Stiles knew he was toeing a very fine line here; he needed to really think about what he needed to say next.

“She threatened me today. Push me up against lockers by my throat, telling me she was going to find a way to get you back.” Stiles licked his now dry and cracking lips. He eyes never leaving Derek’s. He watched as Derek’s hardened gaze, softened.

“I’m fine and if it were any other person I would run to my dad and have her arrested but I can’t do that without her finding out who I am. That’ll be a much bigger situation to try and control than just Kate herself.” Stiles just sighed and leaned back.

“I don’t want to take anything away from you Derek. I am just trying to help. I saw an opening and I took a gamble, with something that wasn’t mine and I understand that’s why you’re mad but given the circumstances...” Stiles let Derek fill in the rest. Stiles hope he explained himself enough to make Derek understand.

“I get it.” Derek sighed. Stiles let out a sigh of relief.

“I guess, I thought that maybe if I just ignored her or put her out of my mind that maybe she wouldn’t be a problem, that maybe she’ll pester me until she had moved on. I didn’t realize she was seeking you out. It’s twice now she has come at you.” Stiles remained silent and watched Derek rest his head in his hands, talking at the desk. He knew the older man was trying to sort all this out and Stiles knew there wasn’t a better option in this situation. Something bad was going to happen, it was only the matter of what.

“Are you sure you want this?” Stiles asked, immediately regretting his words as they exited his mouth. He wanted Derek to know that this was an option as well. Stop this, their relationship until everything blew over. It honestly was the most sane thing to do at this point.

“What?” Derek head shot up immediately, panic written over his face.

“We could stop this, until Kate leaves or at least until everything blows over. We wouldn’t have to worry about being caught seeing each other or worrying about anything else.” Derek moved his hand to reach for Stiles and pulled back immediately like he touched fire, realizing where he was.

“I don’t want that.” Derek said, voice breaking a little.

“I don’t think I am strong enough to stay away from you now.” Stiles’ breath caught in his throat.

“You said you want to protect what’s yours Stiles; I want to protect what is mine too.” Stiles heart was pounding in his chest at Derek words, his stomach turning into knots. Stiles had to physically grab the chair to stop himself from touching Derek.

“I want to be yours. I want to be someone you want to fight for.” Derek continued.

“I need to fight for you. I can’t give this up; taking a break would be giving up, giving in. I’ve spent too much time appeasing everyone else. I’ve given up too much for that woman. This is what I want. You’re want I want; if that makes me selfish then I don’t care.” Stiles couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face and the tears that were starting to form. He knew in that moment, there was no doubt about it. All the moments Stiles has spend thinking about Derek. Derek was his first thought in the morning and his last a night. The constant knotting of his stomach when Derek complimented him, how Stiles’ heart felt like it skipped a beat every time he caught Derek watching him. Derek has consumed Stiles’ life and Stiles can’t even to begin to think about going back to a time where Derek wasn’t in his life.

Stiles has never wanted someone so badly in his life. Not just physically, but emotionally. Stiles didn’t have the strength to give Derek up either. If Derek wanted to take a break, Stiles would wait, he knew he would. Stiles was in deep now and walking away wasn’t an option for him anymore.

He was in love with Derek Hale.

He was in love with his teacher.

He had someone to call his, he had someone who wanted him to be theirs.

“You’re mine.” Derek said a fire behind his words.

“I’m yours.” Stiles whispered.


	12. Carousel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say other than this is the new update! Took a while to write, I had finals, I moved in with my boyfriend and then we went to his parents house for a week. It isn't as long as the others, but I covered what I needed too. The next few chapters are going to be intense, right up until the very end. I hope you guys enjoy! Once again a big thank you for ilovethesoundoftherain for betaing this chapter for me, she is fabulous as always! Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Carousel

_Derek_

Derek was happy, which if Derek was honest with himself, was throwing him for a loop, because he knew he shouldn’t be, at least not as happy as he was feeling. His life was starting to literally turn itself upside  down from the stability that he worked so hard to create. Kate was back in his life and demanding him back, His career—well, he was expecting to go into work one day and be asked to leave the property (by the escort of the police). He’d even started going exactly the speed limit in fear of getting pulled over by the Sheriff. Derek was trying his hardest to avoid that man at all costs. The common denominator of all this drama and upset of Derek’s life was Stiles. Derek knew that the easiest way to make all his problems go away, would be to get rid of Stiles.

Kate would lose whatever leverage she had over Derek, not that it really mattered, because he was never going to travel down that road ever again. His job wouldn’t be in jeopardy because he wouldn’t be in a relationship with one of his students. He wouldn’t be trying to avoid law enforcement at all costs, especially the Sheriff, because as if things weren’t bad enough, the Sheriff happened to be Stiles’ father. The only person that wasn’t causing his life any drama was Laura. That in itself was blowing Derek away. Laura, nine chances to one was always the center of whatever drama Derek had going on in his life. This time however she was the farthest thing from it.

Despite all the drama and the loss of security Derek had built for himself, he honestly couldn’t find himself caring. Not only did Stiles cause all the problems in his life, but he also was probably the best thing that has happened to Derek in a very long time—if not ever, not that the boy could beat Derek’s birth itself, but Stiles was pretty up there on the list of pros in Derek’s life.

Stiles was the reason why Derek was walking into the entrance of Beacon Hills High School with a wide grin on his face. Stiles had just texted Derek as he had gotten out of his car, talking about how some species of birds mate. Derek didn’t even know how to respond because who knew this crap? It’s different if it was your job, like a bird watcher, a biologist of some sort— one that specializes in birds. Stiles, of course knows exactly—in great detail, how some birds mate and has no problem telling Derek about in at eight in the morning. Derek liked intelligence, like really liked it. It is probably one of his biggest turn-ons. It’s not like he likes someone riddling off math equation in middle of having sex, but someone who has a head on their shoulders, that could challenge Derek daily, never just take his word on everything. Derek enjoyed having actual conversations with someone. It’s something that Stiles definitely has; he’s like an episode of Jeopardy, which is why Derek has a smile on his face, because having someone like Stiles in your life means it’ll never get boring.

It was moments like this that Derek lived for, the kick of excitement in his stomach as he read Stiles’ messages, actually hearing the younger man’s voice in his head, reading the words to him. He felt like a teenager with some epic—world ending crush. Except it wasn’t even a crush. Derek was head over heels in love with Stiles, like ‘pass go’, pass through all the insecurities and the doubt and land directly on ‘fall for a spastic teenage with the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen’. Derek knew he had been hesitant at first, he knew it was the entire situation and what he had to lose. Derek learned really quickly what he was going to gain outweighed what he was going to lose. That changed his entire outlook as Stiles crawled in his heart, completely unannounced and without hesitations.

The conversation they had yesterday had struck a panic in Derek he didn’t even know existed. When Stiles had offered to take a break—or break up, Derek wasn’t entirely capable to really process what Stiles was saying, as soon as he understood that they might not be together anymore. Derek had been angry with the younger man for offering up his job to Kate without consulting him. It was a risk that Derek wouldn’t have taken because despite what Stiles said, the outcome could have ended up badly as well, but he understood the gamble and Stiles was right in his defence. Derek knew his job was forfeit when he kissed Stiles in the rain that night; he had made that decision, not knowing what Stiles was even going to do with the kiss after it happened.

But when Stiles asked Derek if he wanted an out, he couldn’t do it. He needed Stiles now. It wasn’t the want, like it was in the beginning. Derek needed Stiles in his life and he didn’t have the strength to stay away from the younger man, he never had it. It had sparked a passion inside Derek that he never felt before, not even with Kate. His relationship was being threatened and he had to fight for Stiles; to keep the younger man and make sure he remained Derek’s. Derek was surprised at how possessive he became in that moment, the fire that had begun to form in his stomach and pump through his body. Derek wasn’t going to let anyone get between them, not Kate or even Stiles’ father. Derek knew he would take whatever heat he needed to for the boy, for their relationship.

Derek reached his classroom door and was surprised that the lights were on and the door was open slightly. Derek normally got to class about thirty minutes before the keeners in the class began to show up and take their seats. Derek stopped dead in his tracks when he opened the door of his classroom the rest of the way to see none other than Lydia Martin sitting at his desk.

“Mr. Hale.” She greeted smugly, knowing that she had caught Derek completely off guard.

“Miss Martin.” Derek said a few moments later, getting his bearings and moving into his classroom laying his bag on his desk.

“What do I owe this pleasure?” Derek already knew what Lydia was here to talk about. Stiles had continued to tell Derek what happened in the hallways yesterday morning. How Lydia had witnessed everything with Kate and how she knew that Stiles and himself were together. Derek barely stopped the ‘I told you so’, that was about to grace his lips, but he knew that definitely wasn’t what Stiles had wanted to hear.

Stiles explained that he told Lydia everything. Stiles literally meant everything. Derek was really shocked at first because Derek was always under the impression that Lydia never liked Stiles and that Stiles was completely under that impression as well. Either way, something had happened and the two of them seemed to form some bond because Stiles was adamant that Derek could trust Lydia with this. Stiles said that the girl was even willing to help them out by doing some recon to figure out why Kate was in Beacon Hills in the first place. Derek had immediately objected, which Stiles said he had also done, but Lydia said she was going to do it anyways so there was no use in fighting her.

“I think it’s about time we had a little chat, don’t you think?” Lydia had Derek’s measuring stick in her hands, just holding it, which Derek found a little intimating because Lydia did have a lot of power over Derek at the moment. Derek was just praying that Stiles had made the right judgement call when he decided to tell Lydia the rest she hadn’t already pieced together.

“If you feel that is necessary, then by all means.” Derek moved closer to the girl and motioned her out of his chair. Derek didn’t care what the girl had over him, he was still the teacher and she was the student. Derek needed her to understand that.

Lydia raised her eyebrows and smirked slightly, getting up from Derek’s chair and moving to the front of the desk.

“Grab a seat, Miss Martin.” Derek pointed to the seat Stiles always grabs and positioned it in the front of Derek’s desk.

“Please, Mr. Hale. Lydia will be fine. I get the feeling we will be getting to know each other on a personal bases from here on out.” Lydia said sweetly.

“Why do you say that Lydia?” Derek asked, trying out the younger girl’s name, not really liking the way it rolled off his tongue.

“Well you are dating one of my friends, there are bound to be some social functions we will attend together.” Derek couldn’t think of any social function they’d attend together in the near future besides prom. Even then, Derek wouldn't be going with Stiles, which made Derek sad. He was never a big fan of prom, but Stiles would miss out on a proper prom experience with a date because Derek will be forced to chaperone.

Derek couldn’t even lie and say he wouldn’t want to slow dance with Stiles, because Derek pretty much wanted to do everything with Stiles.

“I really don’t see that happening any time soon.” Derek said, not really sure what he should be saying to the girl. Stiles may have trusted her and by extension Derek had too, but it didn’t mean Derek was going to sit and talk about his personal life with a student.

The whole idea made Derek uncomfortable, the idea of fraternizing with one of his students. Derek understood how hypocritical that sounded because he was currently dating one. He may be dating Stiles, but it doesn’t mean he is going to become buddy-buddy with his friends, at least not yet anyways. When Stiles graduates and their relationship could finally be public, then it might happen.

“Think so?” Lydia questioned, tilting her head to the side, twirling her hair between her fingers, voice innocent.

“Either way,” She continued.

“I’m not here to talk about our relationship but about yours with Stiles.” Derek didn’t really like the nerve of this girl. Their relationship wasn’t any of her business. She had already inserted herself into it enough as it was.

“I don’t see how mine and Stiles’ relationship is any of your business.” Derek responded and watched the girl roll her eyes.

“It’s not, but Stiles is my friend so here I am, looking out for his best interest.” Derek didn’t like what she was implying at all.

“I don’t have his best interest in mind?

“Frankly, if you had his best interests in mind you would have never started this whole thing to begin with.” Derek couldn’t help the pang of guilt he felt at Lydia’s words. There was truth to them no matter how much Derek wanted to deny them, but it wasn’t the only factor.

“Last time I checked Stiles was big and ugly enough to make his own decisions.” Derek retorted and Lydia rolled her eyes once again. Derek had to resist the urge to tell the girl that one of these days her eyes will get stuck up in her head.

“Yeah, but you’re the adult here. You should know better!” Derek took a deep breath, a very deep breath. This was the person Stiles was trusting; the person acting like their relationship was something that was wrong.

“And who are you to pass judgements on me? If Stiles is the child you make him out to be, then you’re right with him and have no right to sit here and lecture me on Stiles’ best interest.” Derek shot back at Lydia.

“More to the point is that Stiles trusts you. He trusts you with this and now you’re coming to me telling me that you think he is a child and can’t make his own decisions?” Lydia just shrugged her shoulders and Derek was actually fuming.

“I made the first move, I made it but I would have never if I didn’t think there wasn't any interest. Then I gave him the choice, our relationship has always been on his terms. Never once have I pressured him or made him do anything he didn’t want to do.” Derek stood up, and pointed towards his door.

“Time for you to leave Miss Martin. Do whatever you want with what you know, but you’re opinion of Stiles and I’s relationship has no effect on its outcome.” Lydia stood up and smiled at Derek.

“Thank you.” Derek gave Lydia a completely bewildered look.

“I want what’s best for Stiles and just because he wants you; doesn't mean you’re the best for him.” Lydia's heels clicked as she walked to the doorway.

“Thanks for proving to me that Stiles isn’t just some fuck. That he actually means something to you, despite your feelings in this, you respect his.” Lydia gave Derek a once over and headed out the door.

“Miss Martin.” Derek called after Lydia and jogged to the door to see her stopped just outside her door.

“I care about Stiles, he is the only one I have to prove that too. Not to you, Kate or even his father when the time comes. Next time you want to talk, talk and don’t play games with me. I’m not any of these boys that you string along for kicks. Shoot it straight and no games. Stiles likes you so I don’t want to have a problem with you. Do that again and there will be.” Derek raised his eyebrows, as if to ask Lydia if she understood what Derek had said.

“Loud and clear Mr. Hale.” There was a smirk on Lydia’s lips that Derek really wanted to wipe off, but he swallowed the urge.

“But you better read me loud and clear when I tell you that you hurt Stiles and I will hurt you.” Lydia walked back towards Derek, smile gone from her face, fierceness in her eyes.

“I promise you that I will and that I can get pretty creative. You can’t get anyone better then Stiles and  having been on the other end of the spectrum you should know that.” Lydia gave him another once over, looking back into Derek’s eyes, smirking, making a noise of satisfaction, turning around, and strutted down the hallway, heels clicking.

“Loud and clear. Lydia.” Derek repeated the girl’s words, putting emphasis on her name and walked back into his classroom.

Derek didn’t care who she was, he didn’t play games. He played enough of them with Kate and is still playing them until he can permanently keep her out of his life. He didn’t need one of his students, barely a new friend to his boyfriend coming in here and testing him. As long as Stiles knew that Derek loved and cared about him, that’s all that mattered. Even though he hadn’t told the younger man exactly how he felt, Derek had almost felt it was too soon, but he knew he was waiting for a better moment, not have something like that be polluted in the mess that was surrounding them lately.

* * *

Derek walked through the front door of his house, mouth already watering at all the delicious food he smelled wafting in from the kitchen. Derek was happy that Laura was some freelance journalist that worked from home because if she wasn't he would be living off pop tarts and root beer or some form of junk food.

“Is Stiles here too? Will I assume he’ll be coming over?” Laura called out from the kitchen. Stiles had been over almost every day for the past two weeks. The only days he missed out on Laura’s cooking was the days he had Lacrosse practice, which he had officially quit as of today. It was why he hadn’t already beaten Derek to his house, that and he was helping his friend Erica out with something.

Stiles had texted Derek about Erica asking about the 4-1-1 on him. Derek couldn’t help but laugh and tell Stiles to say nice things, just not who he was exactly.

“He has other commitments today! It’s just us.” Derek called out, hanging up his leather jacket and kicking off his shoes. Derek was a little worried about Stiles when he had told him he decided to quit lacrosse. Derek had automatically assumed it was all the stress of what had been going on, the sneaking around and the constant looming of Kate still lurking around them. Derek of course had been wrong, so when Derek had questioned Stiles, the younger man just simply rolled his eyes and told Derek to stop worrying. Stiles told him that dating him had added some stress to his life and Stiles was stupid to believe that it wouldn’t get worse, but Stiles quitting lacrosse had nothing to do with their relationship.

He said it was a combination of things. Stiles told Derek that he honestly didn’t have much backlash from the fight Greenberg and him had, which has surprised both of them. Derek along with Stiles was expecting Greenberg to give Stiles hell, but apparently the guy hadn’t said anything and had even apologized to the class for what he said during Derek’s class about Stiles’ children’s story. Derek didn’t know what happened but he decided to count his blessings while he could, it was one less thing to worry about. Stiles had told Derek it was because he didn’t really want to be a part of the team. Stiles said he initially joined the team because Scott asked him too and it had been a great time while they had been friends. Now that Scott had made first line, Stiles was still stuck warming the bench and Stiles just realized he was only really there for Scott. Stiles said he wanted to take all the extra time lacrosse took and spend it with Derek and the new friends he made. He said he would make sure he’d still go to games and root the team (more specifically Danny) on, but was worried about what his dad would say, knowing he was proud that his son was on the team.

Things didn’t get better between Scott and Stiles, but they haven’t got any worse, it was like they were at a standstill—from how Stiles describes it. Derek was surprised at himself when he wished they would fix their problems. It was obvious Stiles wanted too, but was clearly too stubborn to try and Derek couldn’t blame him. Scott hurt Stiles and it was going to take a while to get that back, but Derek wished Stiles would accept it and try to mend things.

Things with Kate had been quiet—eerily so. Neither Stiles nor Derek had heard anything from her since that day in the hallway at school. They knew she was still in town because Lydia had been giving Stiles frequent updates about her every time she had gone over to the Argent’s house. The words Lydia used to describe Kate were unstable and erratic. Lydia was a lot of things, but she was definitely perceptive, more so then she let people on. She had figured out about Stiles and Derek just by their interactions in class, which Derek was extremely shocked by because they had made sure their interactions remained the same between them in class. Lydia was explicit in expressing her worry about Kate and what she was going to do. She had told Stiles that she was a ticking time bomb of mental instability and she probably wouldn’t be going away any time soon. Lydia had said she tried asking what had driven Kate back to Beacon Hills and the look the woman gave her made her skin crawl. Lydia said she was careful, it was amongst general light conversation but she was sure that something had driven Kate to Beacon Hills and whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Things between Stiles and Derek had been going perfectly, things were moving faster than before. Derek was pretty sure he didn’t have the will or strength to keep up strictly above the waist, but he was happy that they had graduated from that. Stiles had become a pretty active lover—at first he was unsure of how to go about things and was hesitant on what to do or if he should touch. He had gotten over that pretty fast. It was nothing for Stiles to grab Derek after dinner, drag him upstairs to his room and push him against the wall. When Stiles got like this he was all hands and mouth, did Derek ever love that mouth. He was convinced that the younger man had sucked his brain out through his cock several times now. Sex with Stiles was like probably the most amazing thing Derek has done with another person.

Stiles turns Derek on in ways no other person has, the sounds the younger man makes when Derek mouths at his neck and kisses his way down the younger man’s body. Stiles full on moans, chest vibrating, and mouth open when Derek gives him head. The way the Stiles tastes, Derek couldn’t get enough. He wasn’t one for semen or the taste of it, but the way Stiles tasted was unreal, it made Derek achingly hard and leak so much he could feel it continuously run down his length. Derek also started to fixate on Stiles’ hands, the way they looked and how he used them to talk. Derek got hard just having a conversation with Stiles and watching his hands. The way Stiles’ hands would make their way up Derek’s abdomen, tickling and massaging along their way, as Stiles bobbed on his cock, gave Derek cold shivers just thinking about.

They are still working their way up to intercourse, but Derek is pretty sure they are almost at that stage with the rate that Stiles seems to want to experiment. Derek will never forget the sight of looking down at Stiles, face pressed against the mattress of the bed, ass in the air and fisting the sheets. Derek rimmed Stiles to an inch of his life that night, teasing Stiles’ puckered hole with his tongue as the younger man panted and moaned, biting down on the sheets. Stiles was begging him for release that night. Derek had kept the younger man on his stomach holding his arms above his head as he pressed his body down flush against the back of Stiles’. Derek had ground his extremely hard cock between Stiles’ ass, teasing his hole with each stroke. Stiles had come whining Derek’s name from Derek’s movements and the friction from the bed sheets. Derek came shooting over his stomach and Stiles’ back as he had his teeth latched onto Stiles’ ear, moaning.

Needless to say Derek couldn’t wait to take Stiles, fucking the younger man senseless, claim him—like they both wanted so badly. Derek couldn’t help his mind wondering to what it would be like to let Stiles fuck him too. He never really considered it until now, it would always turn him on when people played a little rough and Stiles knew how too. Derek found himself in his room thinking about Stiles, pushing him up against the door, tying his hands behind his back and let him have it. He couldn’t help but let his other hand wander down past his cock, teasing his own hole, thinking of Stiles’ cock.

“I’m going to start referring to Stiles as you other half from now on.” Laura had said as they were halfway through their supper. Derek couldn't help the blush that crept up to his cheeks, mind clearly not working on anything dinner table appropriate, at least to talk about with his sister. Though he’d probably talk about every way he’d fuck Stiles, to Stiles while they ate.

“Why is that?” Derek said around mouthful of burger.

“It has got to the point where it’s strange to not see Stiles at this dinner table at supper time.” Derek couldn’t help but chuckle because Stiles was starting to become a permanent fixture in this house.

“Well, I could always ask him to stay home.” Derek said licking out his tongue when Laura gave him that 'stop being ridiculous' look.

“You know that is not what I meant. I actually love Stiles, he was like made for the both of us.” Derek gave Laura a look that screamed, ‘HE’S MINE’.

“Jeez Derek stop being so possessive. I meant like, he is probably the only person you’ve ever dated that I like. I love it when Stiles come over and we chill.” Derek just grinned at Laura and she rolled her eyes. Derek came home late from work a couple of days ago to find Laura and Stiles cuddled on the sofa watching a movie.

“Well, don’t cuddle my boyfriend.” Derek teased and Laura rolled her eyes.

“Please, it’s like a porno in your room every night. My headphones have actually molded into my ears.” Derek chuckled lightly but actually felt pretty guilty about that. He wanted to say that Stiles was the loud one, which he was, but Derek got lost in it a lot of the time too. Plus, Derek had always one thought when it came to sex, the louder the better. Not the fake screams shit that is in porn, but genuine moaning, it’s a great indicator how well things are going and that they’re going good.

“Sorry.” Derek mumbled and Laura just shrugged her shoulders.

“Its fine, you’re happy, I have listened to a lot of really good music lately and have got a lot of work that I have been putting off done. Win-win.” Derek couldn't help but grin that. This was why Derek loved his sister, right here.

“Have you heard anything from Kate?” Derek shook his head.

“Things have been pretty quiet, I feel like something is coming soon though, it’s not like her to lay low.” Derek sighed. Laura reached across the table and grabbed Derek’s hand.

“It’ll be fine, soon this will all just blow over and then Stiles will graduate and you’ll both be skipping merrily down Main Street.” Derek just snorted and put his other hand over Laura’s to thank her for the reassurance before withdrawing his hand.

“I don’t know Laura. Sometimes I just want to resign and get a restraining order. My problems go away. I take away her leverage and then her. When she is gone for good, maybe I can try and get a job somewhere else.” Derek said and Laura just leaned over and smacked him upside the head.

“You’re joking right?” Laura asked, giving Derek an incredulous look.

“You’re going to let her win like that?”

“Let her win Laura? I win, this gets rid of her!” Derek said, not understanding how Laura thinks getting rid of Kate makes Derek lose.

“By giving up your job? Giving into what she wants?”

“How do you know that this isn’t what I want? I quit my job, I get rid of her and I can be public with Stiles and not have to worry about all of this shit.” Derek had been thinking about this for a couple of days now. It solves all his problems, sure he’ll be giving up teaching but he gains a lot more.

“You’re just a chicken Derek.” Laura says bluntly, throwing a napkin onto her plate.

“You’re running scared.” Derek throws his napkin on the plate as well, losing his appetite.

“I’m not running scared.” Derek replied angrily.

“Yes you are Derek and the sad thing is you don’t even realize it.” Laura said.

“You’re giving in to exactly what she wants. You think the day you walked in on her fucking some other guy; she didn’t know you were going to be there. She pushes you; she wants to see how far she can push till you give in, till you break and you broke. I watched you for two years trying to fix whatever she did to you. You resigning from your job may seem like it’s a win Derek, but it’s a loss. You’re giving into her. You’re letting her take another thing from you.” Laura just sighed, like she was fed up with all this drama, but she wasn’t the one that had to deal with it.

“You think Stiles would like this, have him be part of the reasoning for you giving up. Stiles is fighting for you to keep your job. He cares about you and is fighting for you. You think he would do all this hiding and running around if he didn’t care. He tells me all the time that he is worried that this relationship will cost you your job, and he knows you love it. He tells me about how passionate you are in class and how much you enjoy what you do. He told me even before your relationship started you forced him into extra credit to get his mark up because you simply cared. That there needs to be more teachers like you, ones that care, ones that understand, ones that believe in students like Stiles. You’re just going to give that up.” Laura said her voice intense. Derek knew she held a lot in after the Kate incident, mainly because she knew Derek was hurting, but she wasn’t holding it in now. Derek knew that Laura thought he bowed out to gracefully. Derek had ended things with Kate, packed up his things and moved in with his sister and tried to move on. Derek knew that Laura thought he should have made Kate suffer, but he was completely above that, he wanted to move on.

“Go ahead Derek, resign. You’re not going to be the victim you were before Derek. You’re going to be the man that stopped fighting and let yourself be walked over once again.” Laura this time stood up and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Derek there in silence.

It wasn’t moments later that Derek’s phone rang

“Hello.” Derek answered flatly, not looking at the caller ID.

“Hey baby.” Kate.

“What do you want?” Derek spat, he didn’t even want to deal with the likes of Kate right now.

“Don’t get angry. I just want to talk. Can you meet me somewhere?” Derek rolled his eyes, she had to be kidding.

“No. Bye Kate.” Derek started to take the phone away from his ear.

“Wait! Just wait Derek!” Derek sighed.

“Just meet me at the Carousel, you know the one I am talking about.” Derek knew which one she was talking about. It was where they went on their first date, where they had their first kiss.

“Why?” Derek spat.

“If you want this to end, just meet me there in twenty minutes.” Kate said and hung up. Derek exhaled harshly and threw his phone on the table.

“What does she want?” Laura asked from the doorway.

“She wants me to meet her, something about ending all of this.” Derek said blankly, not really wanting to talk to Laura either.

“You’re going to believe that?” Laura laughed harshly and Derek didn’t answer. He just wanted to go there and get this whole thing over with.

“Oh Derek, please don’t. Nothing good is going to come from this. She just plays games and this is another one.” Derek stood up and reached for his phone on the table.

“What do you want me to do Laura?” Derek yelled this time, tired of keeping cool.

“You’re telling me I am giving up by resigning my job. Making it seem like everyone else is willing to fight for me, but me. She called and said if I wanted this over I’d have to meet her. So I will. If it doesn’t happen and this is just a game, I am back to square one. I got nothing to lose by meeting her.” Derek walked over to wear his jacket was hung up and shrugged it on.

“This is a mistake Derek.” Laura warned him.

“You told me to fight; this is what I am doing.” Derek shrugged his shoulders at his sister, turned around and walked out the door.

* * *

Derek was sat on a bench that circled the carousel, when he saw Kate walk up to him. The dancing lights of the ride reflecting on her face, she looked almost identical to the last time they were here. Derek thought it was ironic, he had come full circle. Meeting at the place where it all really started, to end it.

“I didn’t think you would come.” Kate said, sitting down next to Derek.

“Well, I want this over with.” Derek replied flatly, looking at a young couple ride the carousel, laughing, unknown to anything but each other. Derek couldn’t help but think of Stiles, how he felt with Stiles. When the younger man was around that’s all Derek could see. There were no other women, no other men, it was just Stiles.

It made Derek's heart pound in his chest.

“Am I really that bad to deal with?” Derek just sighed.

“Yes Kate, you are. You make everyone miserable.” Derek kept his gaze forward, knowing that Kate had some pouty face on, trying to look offended.

“I made you happy, once upon a time, didn’t I?” When Derek was young and stupid; when he didn’t know any better.

“I wouldn’t call what I was happy.” Derek spat out. Derek really hoped she didn’t want to walk down memory lane right now, because Derek wasn’t going to sit through it.

“This _kid_ , he makes you happy?” Derek cringed at the word kid, how she just threw it out there like it was an insult.

“He isn’t a child Kate and yes he does.” Derek heard Kate scoff.

“You’d know.” She said sarcastically.

“What do you want Kate?” Derek finally asked. He had no idea why they had to meet up in the first place. All she had to do was tell Derek over the phone that she was giving up and then they’d part ways forever.

“I like him.” Kate ignored Derek’s question.

“I can see what you like about him. He's got a pair on him, a fire that you don’t see in very many people these days. He’s going to be a handful.” Derek clenched his fists at his sides, It made him feel dirty, having Kate talk about Stiles, compliment him.

“Too bad you got there first. I am almost tempted to give him a good fuck, ride the fire out of him.” Derek heard enough, he got up and started to walk away.

“Where do you think you’re going Derek?” Derek ignored her and kept walking.

“C’mon Derek, it’s a compliment. I’m giving you my blessing; maybe the three of us could work something out.” Derek froze.

“I know how much you like to share.” Derek had enough; that was a line; one she has crossed to many times. Derek stalked back over to where Kate was now standing, inches away from her face.

“Fuck you.” Derek growled, with every bit of hate, disgust and repulsion he could express through those words.

“You know what you’re going to fucking to do.” Derek snarled.

“You’re going to fuck off somewhere. This,” Derek motioned between both of them, “Is never going to happen. The very sight of you turns my fucking stomach.” Derek watched as she raised one eyebrow, giving him an ‘are you for real look’. It took every inch, every molecule of his being to not punch this woman in the face.

“You’re going to go back to your place, pack up your shit and get the fuck out of to—” Kate moved forward quickly, pressing her mouth against Derek’s, silencing him.

Derek stood there motionless, in complete shock. It’s when he heard a gasp in the distance that Derek snapped out of it and pushed Kate off him. He watched her stumble back, grinning, eyes flickering to her right. Derek turned to see the wide eyes of Stiles, the boy completely frozen.

Derek’s heart stopped and felt his entire body run cold.

“Stiles.” Derek whispered. Stiles closed his eyes, started shaking his head, muttering to himself. He looked back up at Derek, eyes wet with tears, already slipping down his face, looking shattered.

“Stiles.” Derek whispered again, a little louder this time, moving forward. Stiles noticed the movement and jerked a step back, shaking his head. Stiles kept moving back, shaking his head, wiping the tears from his eyes. Derek started to walk faster to the boy; Derek needed Stiles to understand that what he saw wasn’t what he was thinking. Stiles noticed Derek getting closer, turned and started running.

“STILES!” Derek screamed and started chasing after him, ignoring Kate’s laugher from behind him as it shuddered through him.

“STILES!” Derek screamed again, watching Stiles disappear behind some bushes as he ran after him.

“PLEASE!” Derek pleaded.

“STILES!”


	13. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! It's been a while! I want to apologize for the wait. My life has been so busy--it's unreal. From September to mid-December I literally worked 70 hours a week--I graduated school--quit my part-time job that I've had for six years. I've been busy with the holidays and now I've been running around getting stuff ready for my big boy job in the New Year--studying for my licensing exam. Let's just say my lack of updating isn't because I'm not interested in finishing--there aren't enough hours in the day. Eitherway here is the new update and twice as long as my normal updates. This chapter was literally written on scraps of paper I wrote on breaks--down time on the job. I also had to find a new beta--the lovely weyheytoodeep who did an amazing job--so thank you so much! Here is the new chapter--which torturously is in 2 parts. I'm estimating about another 5 chapters left--maybe less. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, commented or messaged! You guys are amazing and really drive me to finish! Enjoy!

  
Chapter 13: Revelation (Part 1)

_Stiles_

Stiles threw his head back in laughter; he actually couldn’t believe what Danny had just told him. They sat with Erica at their usual table in the cafeteria—Danny was telling past horror stories of all the guys he dated and Stiles couldn’t stop laughing, in disbelief that one person could ever have stories like this.

“No, I’m serious! We were on his bed—which was literally just a mattress on the floor, by the way.  We were making out, with these excessive amounts of posters of Eminem and Lindsey Lohan staring at me, when he sucked on my tongue so hard he tore my frenulum—you know, that piece of skin or whatever’s under your tongue, attaching it to your mouth.” Stiles wiped the tears from his eyes, looking at Erica who had her face in her hands, shoulders shaking with laughter.

“Why were you even there in the first place?” Danny just shrugged.

“I was young and stupid—plus he was really hot.” Stiles just stared at Danny and shook his head.

“Only you!” Danny just rolled his eyes.

“Well Stiles, we aren’t all lucky enough to find a man who leaves gifts in our lockers, with love notes and chocolates attached,” Erica just gapped at Stiles.

“He’s left you presents in your locker? Why didn’t you tell me?” Stiles just shrugged; he didn’t want any more attention drawn to his and Derek’s relationship—it was under the spotlight enough as it is. He didn’t need Erica and Danny sniffing around for clues that he wasn’t willing to hand over.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal! That stuff happens all the time.” Erica gapes at Stiles a little; Danny grins, shaking his head.

“No, Stiles. People are not romantic these days,” Danny reaches over and pats his shoulder, letting him know that his grasshopper status in the dating world was okay. Stiles just snorts and shrugs Danny’s hand away, rolling his eyes. Stiles was completely okay with being a little ignorant about the dating world. He didn’t want people trying to suck _his_ tongue from his mouth, no sir.

“I wish I knew who this guy was. He’s in the school, I know that for sure, but I can’t seem to pinpoint who he is.” Danny said, resting his chin between his index finger and thumb.

“I am pretty sure I know _all_ of the gay people in school, even the closeted ones—which means you are dating one of them—but none of them seem like your type, which also means that I _definitely_ overlooked someone, and _that_ is just not acceptable.” Danny hummed under his breath, scanning the cafeteria, trying to take stock of all gays in the vicinity.

“Leave him be, Danny! Maybe he doesn’t want to be the center of gossip in this school. Remember that nasty rumour that circled around about you and Jackson?” Erica spoke up and Stiles pointed his finger, grinning at her.  
  
“That’s exactly it! We want to keep things quiet.”

Danny rolled his eyes in annoyance at Stiles’ response. He couldn’t tell if it was from mentioning the rumor about him, or the fact that Stiles was trying to use Erica’s defense as an escape from the conversation. Stiles couldn’t help but laugh on the inside: someone had made up a rumor that coach had walked in on Danny screwing Jackson. The ‘bottomjokes’ made at Jackson in the locker room were _completely_ out of control.

“Oh whatever, Stiles! It’s probably someone scandalous, like the local preacher’s son! I always had a feeling about him, by the way: his eyes _always_ linger on Jackson whenever he’s around him.” Erica snickered and Stiles just shrugged his shoulders. Let them think he was dating Devin—he was attractive, but a complete and utter douchebag who tries to punch religion down your throat—but that could just be his _I-hate-my-gay-self_ cover story.

“Maybe it’s a teacher!” Erica piped up, as Stiles tried his hardest not to freeze.

“Now _that_ would be something worth covering up. It would also explain how he would get access to Stiles’ locker—all the combinations are written in a book in the office,” Danny explained. So Stiles finally got the answer as to how Derek got his locker combination—but what he really needed was a good subject change.

“Do we even _have_ any hot teachers?” Erica asked. _Yes,_ Stiles couldn’t help but think about Derek, who was probably the hottest person he’d ever encountered.

“Ugh, _Mr. Hale_! I’d do so many things to that man.” Danny said, getting a dreamy look in his eyes. Stiles couldn’t help the sly grin that spread across his face— _if Danny only knew..._

“He is _really_ hot,” Stiles decided to throw that out there. He knew if he were to disagree it would send up bigger red flags than agreeing. Even someone with literal shit in their eyes could tell that Derek was a smoke show!

“We know you’re hot for teacher, Stilinski—Lydia has told me numerous of times the stuttering mess you become when he calls on you in class,” Danny chuckled, winking at Stiles.

“I bet it’s cute! Wish I was there to see it.”

“Hey, _none of that!_ I’m taken, remember?” Danny pointed at Stiles, a determined look in his eyes.

“I _will_ find out who he is, Stilinski!”

“Well, not from me. My lips are sealed.” Stiles took an imaginary key to his lips—locking them before throwing it over his head. He watched as Danny and Erica’s grins slowly faded, when someone behind him cleared their throat. Stiles sighed; he already knew who was standing there.

“What do you want, Scott?” he asked trying not to sound irritated, but it was starting to get hard. Every day at school for the past two weeks, Scott had approached them at lunch, asking Stiles to talk. It was one of Scott’s more annoying qualities—his persistence. One that he knows Stiles eventually breaks to, on the principle of not having to deal with it, anymore.

“Can we talk, Stiles? _Please?_ ” Scott asked, sounding slightly more desperate than normal. Stiles was a little surprised, but guessed that Scott was _finally_ getting the hint that he really didn’t want to talk, at all.

“No, Scott.” Stiles said again, using his fork to push around the food on his tray. It was always very awkward at this point, because Stiles would tell Scott he didn’t want to speak to him, and Scott would just stand there, not saying anything. It always made him feel bad for Danny and Erica, because this was something that they didn’t need to deal with on a regular basis.

“I’m not going to stop, Stiles; I _know_ you know that. Do us both a favour and just listen to what I’ve got to say, okay? If you don’t want to talk after that, then fine, but I’m not throwing this away until I explain myself.” Scott said, moving towards the side of Stiles—making him look up at the other boy. Stiles knew Scott wasn’t going to stop—he could tell by the determined look in his eyes. Stiles sighed; he was being childish and the mature thing to do would be to hear Scott. It’s that very fact that made Stiles so angry: he was allowed to be childish! He was allowed to be angry, and not talk to Scott; to be the asshole, because clearly, Scott didn’t think about Stiles when _he_ started acting on impulses.

“I’ll think it about it for Monday,” Stiles said simply, looking at Scott—seeing the hurt expression wash across his face. Scott nodded curtly and walked stiffly away from them. Stiles couldn’t help the pang in the pit of his stomach. He knew in some twisted way that he should feel some satisfaction that Scott was hurting, and that it was he who was doing it... Isn’t that how revenge worked? You make the other person hurt as much as they hurt you?   
  
He didn’t feel that. Stiles felt guilty, and he didn’t know what to do. Did it make him a weak person, not being able to feel the satisfaction of getting back at the person who did you wrong? Did it make him a good person, that despite everything he still feels bad inflicting pain on someone—on Scott? Stiles didn’t know where to put his guilt; he didn’t understand why he was feeling it. He shouldn’t.

He looked to his friends sitting across from him. Erica, silently looking down at her plate of food—probably feeling as awkward as Stiles thought she would be. He looked over at Danny, who wasn’t looking away: he was staring directly at Stiles, wearing a frown.

“Not that he doesn’t deserve the treatment you’re giving him, but despite what he says, there _is_ going to be a point where he doesn’t come back,” Danny said carefully, knowing this was a touchy subject for Stiles.

“Well, Scott says otherwise,” Stiles replied curtly, wincing a little at his tone. He knew differently—he’s known Scott a lot longer than Danny has, and when Scott puts his mind to something, he sticks to it. He’ll keep at it until Stiles is good and ready to talk to him.

“How many more rejections do you think one person can take before they _finally_ get the hint—that the person they’re fighting for _doesn’t_ want them to come back?” Danny asks sternly, in a way that a mother would speak to their child to prove a point, or to make them realize the error of their ways—something along those lines. Stiles didn’t know how to respond to it, either way. He understands what Danny is saying—he really does, but the thought never crossed his mind, if Scott would stop coming back.

“You’re punishing him. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it, but he _is_ going to stop coming back to you, because he’s going to eventually stop punishing himself. Even a relationship as long as yours can expire, and it’s going to once he realizes you don’t want him; when he finally forgives himself, and accepts that he tried.”   
  
Does Stiles want Scott out of his life for good? If he was completely honest with himself, he hadn’t really thought about that—sure, he didn’t want Scott in his life right now, but that’s because he’s hurt and he’s mad… But mad enough to never have Scott in his life again? The dust has settled and they’ve both had time to think, but Stiles really hasn’t done that—he just didn’t think about it. He didn’t want to confront it. Didn’t want to make the choice of really and truly losing his person, his rock.

“He pushed your relationship to its boundaries, but what you’re doing is taking it further: far enough that you guys won’t be able to come back from it. He’s trying to mend what he has done—but you’re not letting that happen.” Stiles sat in silence for a few minutes, really thinking about what Danny was saying. Stiles was pushing Scott away: was it because he was trying to postpone coming to terms with what was happening between them—the end of their friendship or the start of something new, for better or for worse? Stiles didn’t know. He has so many questions; with so many of them, could Stiles just forgive Scott? Lay it all to rest and put it behind them for the sake of their friendship? Stiles didn’t know if he could; he didn’t know if he could just let everything slide by again this time, like he’s done before. The action of just letting things slide and putting up with Scott’s behavior is what’s put them in the exact situation they’re in right now.

“Things don’t have to be solved with one conversation,” Erica spoke up. “I don’t really know what happened between you guys, and it really isn’t any of my business, but I think you should hear what he has to say.”   
  
Stiles nodded at the girl, but he wasn’t sure if that would be the right thing to do. If he went and talked to Scott, was he really going to hear what he had to say, or just focus on what had happened and continue punishing Scott for what he’s done? Stiles didn’t feel ready to start putting everything behind him. He has to decide whether or not his inability to overlook what happened is worth closing the coffin on their relationship, forever.

“What do you guys to expect me to do? Just forgive him?” Stiles asked, as both friends just shrugged their shoulders. Stiles couldn’t help the flare of irritation coiling up inside of him.

“Stiles, you don’t throw away a relationship like that. Yes, he was wrong: _but you were, too_. He treated you that way— _but you let him_. If you had manned up and set him straight to begin with, you guys would be in a completely different place now.” Danny spoke now with a fine line of irritation edging his voice. Stiles opened his mouth, but Danny raised a hand, motioning him to stop while he continued.

“He’s trying to own up to what he has done—he is dealing with you, making himself miserable while you’re being stubborn. No one is asking you to forgive him, but just remember there would be _nothing_ to forgive if you didn’t let it happen. _Hear him out!_ It might not be what you want to hear, but it might be a step in being able to put things behind you—whether that is the end of your relationship, or the start of patching things up.” Stiles wanted to disagree with Danny so badly when he finished, but he knew he’d be wrong. As much as Stiles didn’t want to, he knew he had to talk to Scott; to hear him out. As Danny said, he probably wouldn’t want to hear anything that was going to spill from Scott’s lips, but at least he’d know, then. There would be nothing else.

“Goddamn,” Stiles swore under his breath and sighed in defeat. He might as well go find Scott and get this over with. “This doesn’t mean I forgive him,” he spat at his two friends, trying to ignore the grins on their faces. He rolled his eyes, standing up and shrugging his backpack onto his shoulder. He wasn’t even going to make eye contact with Danny again, because it would just make Stiles want to smack the smug look off his face. Danny was like a gay yoda, or something—arrogantly rich in his wisdom and knowledge.

Stiles sighed again and started making his way over to the other side of the cafeteria, where Allison was seated. Unfortunately she wasn’t alone; Lydia and Jackson were also keeping her company. Stiles didn’t know where to look for Scott, and with the short amount of time left to lunch, he didn’t have time to go exploring. Asking Allison was the best idea.

“Hey,” Stiles said to Allison when she noticed him approaching the table.

“Look who it is,” Jackson spoke up before the girl could respond. Stiles took a seat next to her, wanting to ignore Jackson but knowing the other man wouldn’t let up until he responded.

“Nice to see you too, Jackson.” Stiles made sure to lay on the sarcasm really thick this time—he had no patience for Jackson today, or any day if he was truly honest.

He gave Lydia a small smile, which she returned shyly. They had decided to keep their newfound friendship under wraps until Stiles had sorted everything out with Kate and Scott. He really didn’t need any extra attention on him right now: being buddy-buddy with Lydia would cause more than a few people to turn their heads.

“So, when are you going to stop dragging Danny down in the ‘ _I-have-no-friends pity party’_ and let him come back to his real friends?” Stiles couldn’t help the grin that came across his face. He knew that Jackson was starting to get jealous of the fact that Danny had been spending so much time with him and Erica. Danny had told Stiles they’d been fighting over it; he told Stiles that he loved Jackson like a brother, but that he was a possessive freak sometimes. Stiles had taken the liberty of also filling in that Jackson was a spoiled, rich asshole who didn’t understand the concept of sharing... Stiles made the executive decision to ignore what Jackson had said, and get to the point.

“Do you know where Scott is?” He looked over at Allison, who appeared more than a little surprised by the question. Scott had probably told her that Stiles had rejected him again, and said where he was going if she needed something. Stiles tried to squash the feelings of guilt flooding to the surface.

“ _Did you hear me, Stilinski?_ Leave Danny alone! Stop taking advantage of his annoyingly big heart and let him sit where he wants to.” Stiles couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Jackson this time, swallowing the urge to tell him to shut up. He looked to Allison who was biting on her bottom lip, probably contemplating whether or not she should tell them where Scott was.

“He went to sit out on the bleachers, at the lacrosse field,” Allison said after a few more seconds. Stiles felt relieved; he thought for a minute that she wasn’t going to give. Not that he could really blame her for probably assuming Stiles was going to hurt him even more.

“ _Stilinski!_ ” Jackson piped again, this time even louder—eyes bulging wide.

“ _Jesus,_ Jackson! Do you _ever_ shut the fuck up?” Stiles asked, enjoying the sight of Jackson’s jaw dropping slightly. “Danny is a free-thinking, smart, independent guy who can make his own damn decisions. If he wanted to sit with you today, he’d be here!” He was enjoying the ‘fish out of water’ look on Jackson’s face—but it didn’t last long.

“Can you believe the nerve of him?” Jackson turned to Lydia, as Stiles just shook his head. There was no way one person could think this highly of themselves; that Stiles, or anyone would ever have the audacity to say anything like that to him! Lydia flicked her hair back, eyes fluttering between Jackson and Stiles, a playful look within them. Stiles was barely able to bite back a grin.

“ _Actually,_ I can,” Lydia said, sounding thoughtful. Jackson huffed, crossing his arms.

“Thanks Allison,” he murmured, leaving before he was forced to endure more of Jackson.

He was halfway to the exit before he heard Allison call his name. She grabbed his arm, pulling him down to the empty table beside them, forcing him to sit.

“Listen, I know what Scott did hurt you,” she began as soon as they were seated, carefully considering her words. “I know that to simply ask for forgiveness is out of the question, but whatever you’re about to say to him... _Be gentle,_ please.” Stiles felt a lump begin to form in his throat as Allison’s broken voice pleaded; her eyes open with worry and sadness. He felt the emotion overwhelm him a little. Allison was normally the strong, silent type, which Stiles always thought was weird for a girl, but found refreshing. She was the one to suffer alone in the darkness and work things out for herself. Now, she was losing her composure and hearing it in her voice, seeing it in her eyes, was putting Stiles a little on edge.

“I know it’s unfair of me to ask, but could you try? I don’t mean to generalize or degrade what you’re going through, I am just asking you to not kick him while he is down. He’s beaten himself up more than you could ever imagine, and I don’t think he could take much more, especially from you.” Allison reached over and squeezed Stiles hand, trying to blink away her tears. Stiles felt the guilt in him bubble past the surface this time, and he couldn’t beat it back. He thought he should feel at least some satisfaction in knowing that Scott was hurting—suffering like he was, but he couldn’t find any. Looking at Scott’s pain written across Allison’s face made him realize that he needed to end this—whatever _this_ was and whatever the outcome, it needed to be put to rest. It wasn’t just Stiles and Scott anymore—it was Allison, probably Derek, also feeling the pain. Their pain was hurting the people they cared about most, and Stiles was too caught up to realize what had been happening.

“I’m going to hear him out. I can’t make any promises about what will happen between us, but I want us all to stop hurting.” Stiles said, his voice becoming thick with emotion. It was true—he didn’t need this sitting on his heart anymore. With everything that was going on, he didn’t need it—Scott, for all his faults, didn’t need it, especially considering that it was starting to affect those around him. Stiles was done being selfish about this now, done trying to put it off and worry about other things. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen—knowing his luck, probably nothing good—but it needed to end.

Allison jumped up slightly, leaning over the lunch table and pulling Stiles into an awkward hug that craned his neck into a not-so-comfortable position.

“I’m only going to talk to him. Doesn’t mean either of us is coming out happy,” Stiles mumbled against Allison’s shoulder.

“ _It’s something._ ”   
  
She pulled away, giving Stiles a sad smile before tugging him back into another quick hug. She released him again with quick nod, turned and headed back to where Lydia and Jackson were bickering. Stiles glanced over to where Erica and Danny were; leaning over a comic book Erica seems to have pulled out. Stiles couldn’t find the words to express how thankful he was for them—he didn’t know how he would have made it through these few weeks without them. Stiles knew that if he and Scott _did_ patch things up, he’d have to deal with a few new people in Stiles’ life. He wasn’t going to give these people up for anybody.

* * *

Stiles found Scott on the bleachers, the ones closest the forest, sitting in the top corner. Scott didn’t notice as Stiles climbed toward him, his vacant gaze fixed on the field; no real expression on his face, lost in thought. Stiles sat down beside him, following his eyes onto the lacrosse pitch. When Stiles had quit the team, he honestly thought he was going to miss it. He didn’t. He never liked lacrosse the way Scott had—never really fought to become first line, something else was always more important. He sat on the sidelines and realized that sitting in the stands would be a lot more fun, rooting for the team and eating Erica’s shitty nachos.

“I was surprised when coach announced that you quit the team,” Scott finally spoke, realizing Stiles was sitting next to him.

“Why?” Stiles questioned. He didn’t think it was much of a surprise. He didn’t do much for the team, except give the coach reasons to yell.

“I thought you loved lacrosse,” Scott answered, eyes still forward. _Scott_ loved lacrosse. _He_ was the one, not Stiles. Lacrosse was just another example how Scott lives in his own world—ignorant to other people.

“You love lacrosse, Scott. Not me.” Stiles spoke his thoughts and Scott finally looked over with a puzzled expression.

“Then why did you join the team?”

“’Cause you asked me to,” Stiles replied simply. Scott makes a silent _‘oh’_ with his lips—a guilty look washing across his face.

“It was something fun we did together, bitching about all the first-liners while we sat on the bench. When you made first-line—I was still on the bench. It wasn’t as fun but I stayed on the team because I knew you’d want me too. Now, I just didn’t see the point. I can cheer the team on from the bleachers,” Stiles explained. He didn’t want Scott to feel like it was his fault. It was something that Stiles had been thinking about for a while, now.

“It sucks.” Scott said sadly, “without you there.”

“I needed to move on,” Stiles replied hesitantly, trying to verbalize what he was feeling—what he wanted Scott to understand. Stiles had outgrown Scott’s shadow; he didn’t need to be attached like he once was. He didn’t need that security, the kind that came with being Scott’s friend—Stiles learned to be himself, for himself.

“You’ve changed,” Scott stated, looking back onto the field, resting his forearms on his knees and clasping his hands together.

“I know,” Stiles agreed. He had changed a lot. Sometimes it didn’t feel like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things—Well, Stiles had been changing for a while now.

“I don’t mean just recently, either,” Scott said after a few moments.

“It’s something I’ve noticed for a while,” he continues, Stiles looking away from the field and at Scott’s profile—watching him bite his lip nervously.

“I’ve been trying to think about what went wrong, when it all started,” Scott explained further, making Stiles tense up. Did he mean that Stiles was the reason for their fighting? That he had changed and caused of all this?

“Are you trying to say it’s entirely my fault?”

“No—I didn’t mean it like that,” Scott said hurriedly, immediate sincerity in his voice telling Stiles he wasn’t all to blame. “I was just trying to think back on when it all started, and for me, it was when I noticed how much you had changed.” Stiles wasn’t the only one that changed; Scott had too, but Stiles had accepted him.

“It was the time leading up to you telling me you’re gay. Then, and after; especially when Allison came into the picture,” Scott said. Stiles decided to remain silent—hoping that Scott would elaborate.

“I felt like you were pulling away, like you were trying to distance yourself from me. You got quiet—which sent up so many red flags, but I didn’t know what to do. You _always_ came to me. I knew you were going through something and I figured you’d come to me eventually, when you were ready... Then, you told me you were gay and I realized that’s what was going on. But when you told me, it made me question why you thought it would ever be a big deal. You know I don’t have any problem with gay people-”

“But you closed off from me, Scott,” Stiles cut him off, but he recovered quickly.

“— _I know,_ and I didn’t realize that was what I was doing at the time. I started to get angry with you: at how much you changed, at how far you seemed from me, and I thought that it was because you realized you were gay. I thought that you being gay _was_ the reason for all the changes. It made me angry that you were. I know that’s stupid, but you know I don’t really process emotions and situations very well. I knew your distance was you coming to terms with yourself, but I _expected_ you to come back, and _you never did_. It wasn’t until after our fight that I realized _I_ was pushing you away. I wasn’t smart enough to realize that my actions were pushing you even more.” Scott huffed; Stiles knew it was a telltale sign that he was becoming frustrated with himself.

“Then, there was Allison.” He continues, “How angry you’d get when I’d hang out with her, or invite her with us when we would hang out. It irritated me that you couldn’t be happy for me.” Stiles shook his head—Scott had made Stiles feel like Allison was becoming his replacement.

“I was jealous of Allison. I had _a lot_ of things going on at the time and when I came out, like I said, you closed off and things just got worse. Allison came into the picture and it was like you were replacing me. You were my only friend, Scott: the _only one_ that understood and could tolerate me: _my person!_ I felt pushed aside— _replaced_ , all because I had been honest with myself, and with you. Your life became about Allison. I got over it, eventually. It wasn’t her fault—I love Allison, but she never chained you up and kept you from me: _that was you_. It was your decision to choose her, over me.” Stiles breathed deeply, keeping his mixed emotions under control. Thoughts and feelings of all the times that Scott had stood Stiles up, or ditched him for Allison were tunneling to the surface. The countless weekends he spent home alone, in front of the television or computer. The amount of times Stiles had made excuses to himself, to his father as to why he hadn’t seen them together much anymore.

“I was selfish,” Scott admitted quietly.

“Yeah, you were.”

“I thought about myself and my needs, and at the time, it was about me spending time with Allison—someone who wanted to get close to me and know me better. I noticed we were slipping and instead of dealing with that—talking to you about it, I just buried myself into my relationship with Allison, and made things worse between us.” Scott had put his head in his hands and let out a ragged breath. Stiles resisted the urge to reach over and comfort him. He couldn’t tell Scott that it was okay—that everything was going to be okay, because he honestly didn’t know himself.

“It’s not all your fault, Scott.” It wasn’t, if Stiles was really honest with himself. It takes two to ruin a relationship.

“I didn’t confront you—there were plenty of times I could have, but I never.” Stiles gave into his urge to touch his friend and reached over, putting a hand on Scott’s shoulder. It was wrong of Stiles to try and place all the blame for their ruined friendship. He had avoided talking about any of their problems just as much as Scott did. It was easier to go along with pretending everything was okay.

“About that night, Stiles, at the lake—I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean a single word; the things that I said to you, how I behaved. I was just so angry with you. You had this guy, and all these changes? I couldn’t deal with it. I couldn’t take that there was so much between us now, and I was blaming you.” Stiles sighed; _that was it_ : the actual apology he was looking for. He honestly thought he would feel better—relieved, like something was going to wash away, or be lifted off his shoulders, but he didn’t feel that. He felt stupid—the whole situation was stupid.

“I can’t believe we could have avoided this if we just talked things out.” Scott hummed in agreement.

“What do we do now?” he asked.

Stiles just shrugged. He honestly didn’t know—he knew that he and Scott were both kicking themselves for everything that had happened. He knew he forgave Scott—which surprised him. He spent all this time angry with him, and all it took was for Scott to apologize—to offer an honest apology. Stiles could forgive Scott all he wanted but it didn’t change the situation. There had to be permanent, real changes—they couldn’t just revert back to what they were before. What they were before sucked: it’s what led them to this moment.

“We… Take things slow?” Stiles suggested. Scott looked over—surprise written all over his face.

“What?” he questioned, voice soaked in disbelief.

“I forgive you, Scott: a lot of things happened for us to be here. It’s not all on you—the lake just made our house of cards come toppling down. I’m sorry, too: it’s not for the same things, but I’ve had my share in this, and was just as ignorant to what it was doing until everything came crashing down,” Stiles explained. It was only fair that he offered Scott an apology for the parts he played in what was happening between them.

“It doesn’t fix anything. We can’t go back to what we were; that doesn’t work for us, anymore. There needs to be changes and until then—we should just take things slow. Get used to the people we are becoming, and accustomed to the new things and people in our lives. Most importantly, be more open with each other.” When Stiles finished, Scott was already smiling at him, the corners of his lips almost ear-to-ear in a wide, happy grin.

“God, I’ve missed you so much.” Scott breathed out as he latched on to Stiles, pulling him into a back-breaking hug.

“Missed you too, buddy.” Stiles returned the hug—a smile slowly making its way across his face. He knew that he and Scott still had a lot to work through, but Stiles felt like this was a good step towards them healing, maybe becoming even closer than before.

“We should make plans to hang out this weekend,” Scott said, breaking the hug with an arm on Stiles shoulder. Stiles nodded his head, but froze when he realized that he and Derek had already talked about getting together.

“Play Xbox or something, order pizza and eat until we can’t move anymore—like old times.” Scott sounded hopeful and Stiles sighed—hating to be the bearer of bad news.

“Shit, I have plans with someone already,” Stiles slowly spoke. Scott nodded immediately, disappointment written across his face.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume that you were free.” Stiles just shook his head.

“No, it’s okay, Scott! If I have some time I’ll text you and see if you’re free. It’s no big deal—just bad timing,” Stiles reassured him—he didn’t want Scott to think he was making up an excuse not hang out with him. If Stiles was being honest, he really _did_ need a night of video games and junk food as a break from all the Derek/Kate drama looming over his life.

“That sounds good. I haven’t really got anything planned for the weekend, so let me know if you’re free.” Stiles nodded and stood up—hearing the first bell, signalling that lunch had ended. Scott followed suit and they both stepped down the bleachers walking towards the P.E. entrance.

Scott started talking about what happened in practice the day Stiles left the locker room after the incident with Greenberg. He started to animatedly retell of the story of Danny blatantly running out of his goal and tackling Greenberg to the ground. Danny had pinned Greenberg’s hands above his head and kissed him, full on the lips. Stiles grinned as Scott told him how Greenberg had a minor meltdown and stormed off the field.

“I wish I was there to see what happened,” Stiles said. He might have to go watch practice again— _especially_ if he could get Danny to pick on Greenberg some more. Stiles was a little disappointed that Danny hadn’t told him what he’d done, but he had no doubt that Danny did it in retribution for what Greenberg had done to Stiles—Danny had no time for homophobia.

It was in that moment that Stiles felt lighter, somehow—laughing with Scott seemed to awaken something in Stiles—he felt happier than he had been in ages. It was different than the happiness Derek gives him. Stiles knew a dark cloud was starting to move away, and for the first time, he was hopeful. After everything that had been happening over the past few weeks, something was finally starting to look up for him.

* * *

“Your mom is _actually_ hilarious.” Stiles said to Erica, shaking his head and grabbing the bag of flour from the pantry.

“That’s because she loves you. She’s just showing off!” Stiles could hear the touch of embarrassment in Erica’s voice. He winked at her as he left the pantry, oversized bag in his arms.

“Parents love me,” Stiles grinned, as Erica just rolled her eyes.

“After she met you for the first time, she sat me down, put on her serious face and blatantly asked me if I was, _‘getting on that,’_ ” Erica said, bringing out the finger quotes as Stiles’ jaw dropped.

“ _She did not!_ ”   
  
Erica just laughed as she got the mixing bowl from the cupboard.

“Oh, she did; I nearly died from embarrassment.” Stiles just shook his head, handing over the flour. Stiles had come over after school to help Erica with baking a cake for her mother’s birthday. It also meant staying for supper, which Stiles didn’t mind because Erica’s mother was a riot.

“If she only knew,” Stiles chuckled.

“Oh, _she knows,_ ” Erica replied. “Want to know what she said? ‘ _What a waste!’_ ”   
Stiles’ eyes widened in disbelief.

“Ah… I don’t want to be left alone with your mom, ever.”   
  
Erica burst out laughing. “Don’t say that—it’ll break her heart!”   
  
Stiles pouted; he didn’t mean it, but he knew that Erica also knew that. He really liked Erica’s mother and was a little envious of their relationship. The relationship Erica had with her mother is what Stiles imagined the relationship with his own mother would have been like: open, trusting, loving and fun. Stiles couldn’t help the ache that formed in his chest. It had been a while since he’d visited his mother; he’d have to drop by the cemetery sometime soon.   
  
Erica hummed under her breath, placing the last of the ingredients for the cake on the counter.

“So, did you settle things with Scott today?” she asked after instructing Stiles to start measuring out the dry ingredients and put them into one of the smaller bowls.

“I think so,” Stiles said. “I mean—he apologized and I forgave him. We aren’t fighting. We mostly just laid everything out on the table and now we’re trying to pick up the pieces… Taking things slow and working towards something new, because it clearly didn’t work with the old us.” Erica nodded in agreement, cracking a few eggs.

“I’m glad you guys figured it out. It must have been a hard thing to do, to forgive Scott.” Stiles just shrugged. It really wasn’t.

“I was tired of being angry,” Stiles started.

“It wasn’t all Scott, either. Sure, what he said—how he acted was ridiculous and that was on him, but he apologized. We talked about all the misconceptions; the mistakes that we made to get to this point, and I was just as much to blame. How could I stay angry when it wasn’t _all_ on him?” Erica hummed, telling Stiles that _time would tell everything from this point, on_. Stiles agreed with her. He knew that Scott and him needed to make time for each other, open up to each other—not hold everything little thing inside, until it all blows up in their faces.

“So, this guy…” Erica started, winking over at Stiles. “Any chance you’ll tell me who he is?” Stiles just chuckled and shook his head.

“Nope. Like I said, my lips are sealed,” he grinned over at Erica. Stiles wanted nothing more than to tell her: he wanted to tell everyone. He wanted to hold Derek’s hand as they walked down the street. He wanted people to know that Derek was his—and his, alone.

“Can you tell me about him?” Erica asked. Stiles nodded and wondered what he could say about Derek.

“… _Very_ handsome,” Stiles said grinning as Erica quirked her eyebrow.

“Handsome?—Wait, how much older is this guy?” She questioned immediately. Stiles froze for a moment.

“ _Ahh_ ,” he tried to think of something to say but Erica gasped before he could invent anything.

“ _That’s_ why we don’t know who he is! He isn’t even in high school anymore!”   
  
Stiles blushed and nodded. _Technically_ , Derek was still in high school but Erica didn’t need to know that.

“STILES!” Erica squealed and smacked him excitedly on the shoulder. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes playfully.

“That is so scandalous!”

Stiles chuckled and took out his phone to message Derek, telling him that Erica was trying to get all the dirty details about his mysterious man friend.

“But seriously, besides being disgustingly attractive—because I know you and you don’t settle for mediocre—What’s he like?”

Stiles grabbed the flour, measuring it out and putting it into the bowl.  He didn’t really know _how_ to describe Derek. He was everything Stiles ever wanted and everything he never knew he’d needed. He was perfect—as much as Stiles didn’t want to describe Derek as that, to place him on such a high pedestal… To Stiles, Derek really was. Derek was perfect for Stiles.

“He’s great,” Stiles began, trying to find the accurate words to _really_ portray his boyfriend. He knew that before he’d even gotten started, he’d come up short in describing Derek.

“ _Just_ great?” Erica questioned teasingly.

“More than great; like, perfect actually.” Erica raised her eyebrow, mouthing the word perfect, wearing a surprised face.

“He’s nice, and kind… Smart, funny, and sensitive—and I don’t mean the _‘cry over every little thing’_ type. He just knows how to express his emotions. He doesn’t hold them in, he expresses them when it’s appropriate—he cares. He cares about me, his sister; about the things that are important to him. He’s loyal and _so_ passionate. He hasn’t had an easy life… It’s honestly been pretty tough from what I know, but he still manages to smile and laugh. He respects me; my opinion and my thoughts. He respects the choices I make—even though I know he doesn’t understand some of them.” Stiles thought about all the things that made Derek, _Derek_.

“He does this thing with his eyebrows—like, there is no way you’ll ever misread any emotion on his face. They say the eyes are the window to the soul? Not him—with him, it’s his eyebrows… _Although,_ his eyes are pretty dreamy, as well… A nice colour green, with brown specs in the iris.” Stiles described, glancing at the recipe for the next ingredient.

“I love eyes! They are the thing that do it for me—that and _teeth._ If you have beautiful eyes, perfect teeth, and a nice smile, it gives me chills.” Stiles nodded in agreement with Erica; all of those things, Derek had.

“He has these slightly bucked two front teeth; it’s only slight and you overlook them unless you’re _really looking_ , but they’re so adorable. When he gets excited, he has this slight lisp that comes out. My heart honestly melts.” Stiles notices Erica stop moving and looks over at the girl—rolling his eyes at the expression on her face.

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” he said, trying to ignore her _‘approaching borderline pathetic right now’_ glance. Stiles pinched some of the dry ingredients between his fingers and flicked it at Erica.

“I can’t help it! I’ve never seen you like this—you actually light up when you talk about him.” Stiles rolled his eyes—feeling a flush come to his cheeks.

“I just can’t help it. Everything the guy does either turns me on or makes my heart skip a beat. I understand how lame and cheesy that sounds. I’m always a constant puddle of goo. Oh, _God_ , Erica; the man smiles and he gets this wrinkle in his nose and a crinkle on the side of his eyes, and I swear my heart stops.” He moves to the side and lets Erica take over at this point.

“You’re really serious about him?” Erica asks—Stiles just nods, dumbly.

“I am. I think he is, too... It feels so right between us. We fit well together.” Derek calmed Stiles. Stiles was always twenty thoughts and ten actions ahead of himself, at all times. Things always seem jumbled; a mess of noises and overly bright lights, but Derek centered him. He made Stiles’ heart pound, but made him feel calm at the same time. He made Stiles’ mind race, but Stiles never felt more focused than he was with Derek. Derek complimented Stiles in so many ways—so many ways that Stiles thought no other person ever would.

“Do you love him?” Erica asked quietly, like she was afraid that anyone else could hear them.

“I do.” Stiles breathed out a happy sigh, not hesitating. It felt good to finally say it out loud, to talk about Derek with someone other than himself. Stiles felt himself be pulled into a tight hug.

“Oh God, Erica—I can’t breathe,” he strained to say, air supply starting to wane under Erica’s tight grip.

“ _I’m sorry_ —I’m sorry!” Erica laughed, releasing Stiles, her eyes bright and a wide grin over her face. “I’m just so happy for you!” She squealed, yanking him into another hug, which Stiles was able to return this time.

“Thank you,” he grinned.

“So, I… I have a confession to make,” Erica said abruptly, releasing Stiles and going back to work on the cake batter.

“Oh, yeah? And what might that be?” He asked, excited for a juicy secret that wasn’t his.

“I had _THE_ biggest crush on you,” Erica said, a blush creeping across her cheeks. Stiles couldn’t do anything but gape at her.

“No way,” he said in disbelief—there was no way someone as cool as Erica had liked Stiles—ever.

“ _Way!_ ” Erica confirmed, smiling. “It started in freshman year; ended sometime in our sophomore year.” Stiles couldn’t believe that he didn’t know. Well, he could—Stiles was oblivious to these things most times, but the fact that someone had a crush on him for more than a year? Just, _wow_.

“I really don’t know what to say,” he admitted. He didn’t want to embarrass the girl any more than she probably already was.

“You don’t have to say anything! I just thought I’d tell you. It’s funny, now that I look back on it.”   
  
Stiles nodded and watched her finish mixing the batter. He couldn’t help but feel flattered that Erica had even noticed him back then—especially in freshman year; what a disaster _that_ was.

“I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy like this,” Erica said, pausing before a big grin spreading across her face; “but I am _horribly_ jealous, and I’m going to stalk you and take him out!” Stiles couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.

“That was a pretty serious crush you had, though—I don’t think I’ve ever had one that long,” he teased. Erica just shrugged, rolling her eyes.

“It wasn’t _that_ intense,” Erica tried to make an excuse, but Stiles knew better: more than a year is a long time to have a crush, there had to be something to it.

“You’re just different, that’s all. Not like any of the other guys that were in school.” Stiles felt heat creep back into his cheeks again. “Considering that you’re gay—I guess I found out what that difference was!” Erica stuck out her tongue.

“Hey!” Stiles tried to sound offended, playfully smacking her on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry—it’s not your fault that I zone into the gay ones. I find Danny _disgustingly_ attractive.”

“That’s because Danny _is_ disgustingly attractive,” Stiles agreed. He’d always had a little crush on Danny—more of a lust for him, actually. Danny was just too nice and attractive for someone to _not_ like him at some point or another.

“So, are there any straight men that tickle your fancy?” Erica scrunched up her nose at Stiles’ choice of words.

“Nah! There is a man out there for me, though. I’ve just got to find him!”

“Or have him find you,” Stiles added. He hoped that Erica found someone who was meant for her. She deserved someone that great—someone who would treat her the way she deserved. She’s earned that much, after everything she’d gone through in her life.

“Did your man find you?” She asked; Stiles really wasn’t sure. They’d both met in class, but Derek _did_ technically make the first move, initiating those private tutoring sessions and kissing him—Stiles didn’t give him a reason _not_ to kiss him, either. Plus, Derek couldn’t have known what would happen by offering Stiles lessons...

“We found each other,” Stiles said after a moment. Erica made this awful cooing noise that told Stiles she was currently melting on the inside.

“That is too much,” she almost squeals. “I’ve never seen him and I can already tell you are meant for each other! When do we get to meet him? There is no way we can hold out forever, you know.”

“I…“ Thankfully, Stiles was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Seeing a blocked number calling, Stiles motioned that he was going to be a moment.

“Hello?” he answered, heading to the washroom down the hall for some privacy.

“Stiles Stilinski,” a familiar voice came through on the other end. Stiles froze.

“How did you get this number?” he immediately growled.

“Sweetheart, that should be the _least_ of your worries,” Kate laughed through the phone. Stiles felt himself grip his mobile tightly, feeling it creak slightly under the tension.

“ _I said,_ how did you get this number?” Stiles asked again—a tone that could have rivalled his father’s ‘Sheriff voice.’

“ _Ah,_ we have a mutual friend.” Stiles immediately thought about Lydia, but realized Lydia would never let a stranger have her phone, or give Kate his number even if she had asked.

“Who?” Stiles gritted between his teeth.

“ _Derek,_ ” Kate replied; Stiles could hear the smugness in her voice.

“You’re lying,” he responded immediately—there was no way Derek would ever give out Stiles’ number. Kate hadn’t even talked to Derek in weeks, he would have told Stiles if she’d come sniffing around.

“How _else_ do you think I got your number?” Stiles could think of a dozen more ways that she could have gotten it. Derek wasn’t even on the list.

“Well, you sound like a resourceful bitch. Pretty sure you found it somewhere else.”

Kate chuckles over the phone. Stiles wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile off her face; he was so sick of having this woman looming over his relationship. He was getting angry—it wasn’t an emotion that Stiles felt often, he had learned a long time ago that having patience was the best way to see things through. Kate, however, was wearing him down to his very last ounce. Behaviour like hers was something he expected from someone his own age or younger, but this was getting beyond ridiculous. Kate was a grown adult—one that really couldn’t take a hint.

“Or maybe I got it from your father, the sheriff,” she interrupted his thoughts. Stiles froze immediately; dread starting to seep in through his skin. She knew that Stiles’ father was the sheriff. This made the situation a whole new ball game—one that made Derek completely, exceptionally screwed.

“You still there, Stiles— _or do you prefer to be called Genim_?” Stiles literally forgot how to breathe in that moment. There were only two people that knew his real name: his father and Derek. Besides those two, the only access she would’ve had was through public records, which were located in the basement of the sheriff’s station. A strange woman asking for information on the Sheriff’s son would raise some red flags, for sure.

“I’ve got to say—you’ve impressed me.” Kate decided to fill in Stiles’ silence; “screwing your teacher, sneaking behind everyone’s back, especially with your father being who he is. I mean, _wow._ ” Kate laughed through the phone. “Even _I_ wasn’t that gutsy at your age. I get it, though: _the thrill_. It must being something out of this world.”

Stiles understood what she was talking about: the thrill of sneaking around—the excitement of it all was something he couldn’t say he hadn’t enjoyed. It was more than that, though. The excitement he felt paled in comparison to the feelings he had for Derek—to the want and the need he had for the other man; the need that Stiles felt to let everyone know that Derek was his, and only his. Stiles understood the thrill, but he knew it was more than the pettiness of those emotions.

“ _Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted._ ” Kate’s words made Stiles snap out of it, his initial shock wearing off and being replaced with what he could only describe as rage.

“How many different ways do we need to tell you, for you to get it through your thick fucking skull, that Derek isn’t interested?” Stiles was trying hard to keep his voice down, but he was sure Erica could hear him voice from down the hall.

“I hate to burst your pathetic little bubble,” Kate said before Stiles could continue, her voice growing dangerous, _“but Derek’s already mine.”_ Stiles actually growled with frustration.

“Listen,“ Stiles started, but Kate cut him off again.

“—I can prove it.”

“I’d like to see that,” he spat at her. There was no way that Derek would ever be with her, even if Stiles wasn’t in the picture. Kate was nothing but a dark cloud in Derek’s life; he was nowhere nearly stupid enough to ever let someone like that back in.

“We got back together,” Kate continued, simply. “Did you really believe Derek when he told you that nothing happened in the past two weeks? He was meeting up with me after he was done with your _amateur hour_.”

There was no way. Even when Stiles wasn’t with Derek, they talked all the time—even after he would just leave Derek’s place.

“Will you ever stop spewing your bullshit, Kate?” The older woman cackled maniacally over the phone and Stiles had to take it away from his ear, to ignore the woman. If not, he was going to crack his phone with the white knuckled grip he had on it. Stiles glanced towards the mirror—his chest heaving, eyebrows furrowed, nostrils flared; he had never seen himself so furious before in his entire life.

“Believe what you want, _little Genim,_ but he’s come back to me. Admitted that being with you was a mistake; that whatever it is you have with him isn’t worth his job. _Your little fling wasn’t worth throwing away 5 years of hard work._ ”

It was Stiles’ turn to laugh, now. He couldn’t believe this woman—better yet, he couldn’t believe anyone could ever become so delusional.

“You’re pathetic,” he finally said.

 _“You think so?”_ Kate challenged. “Meet me in twenty minutes at the carousel in Alexander Park. It’s where Derek and I shared our first kiss; it’s where we’ve been meeting. He supposed to be there, then. _Come, and I’ll show you which one of us is pathetic.”_ Kate hung up the phone abruptly. Stiles groaned in frustration and swung the door open, leaving the bathroom to strut down the hallway.

“Hey, everything okay?” Erica asked as Stiles re-entered the kitchen. She was leaning against the counter, arms crossed over her chest. Stiles knew she must have heard something, judging by the worried look on her face.

“Not at the moment, but it will be,” he gritted out, unable to control his temper. Once he got to the park and got this whole mess with Kate over with, it would be.

“I have to go,” Stiles said before Erica had a chance to respond. “I don’t mean to cut out early and leave you with the clean up,” Stiles motioned towards the pile of dirty dishes. Erica just waved him off and crossed the kitchen, pulling Stiles into a hug.

“Don’t worry about it; you call me if you need anything. _I mean it,_ ” Erica released him and grabbed his sweater from the porch just off the kitchen. “Go fight for your boy,” Erica winked at Stiles, handing over his sweater. Stiles should’ve been surprised that she understood what the conversation was about, but he really wasn’t—no one ever gave her enough credit.

“I plan to.”

* * *

Stiles pulled into the parking lot of the park. He shuddered as he felt a cold shiver work through his body. He turned the ignition off and leaned back against the driver’s seat, deep in thought. He looked at the clock on the stereo of the jeep, telling him he had another five minutes to meet Kate—and apparently Derek. It never occurred to Stiles that this might be Kate’s way of getting him secluded, to off him or something—he was sure that she was _just_ unstable enough to commit murder.

Stiles got out of the jeep and started down the path, towards the beautifully lit carousel. He couldn’t shake the heaviness that had settled in his stomach on the drive over. He didn’t doubt Derek, but there was just so much that Kate knew, and Stiles couldn’t, didn’t understand how she found out. Sure, there were other options to learn information than from Derek, but none that he could think of could’ve been pulled off without raising suspicion.

The most logical reasoning would be Derek, but Stiles refused to believe that he would ever tell Kate any information about him, even if it was an accident. If Derek had said something to Kate, he would have admitted it to Stiles; he wouldn’t have lied, saying that he hadn’t heard from her in weeks… _Unless Kate was right,_ which was a thought Stiles pushed from his head, because she wasn’t—she couldn’t be. Stiles trusted Derek; that’s all there was to it.

He saw the flickering lights through the trees as he continued down the curved path. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, his hands cold but sweaty at the same time. His face felt like it was on fire and Stiles was starting to become overwhelmed. He paused for a moment, trying to get his now laboured breathing under control. _What if she was right?_

What if Derek didn’t want Stiles anymore? It was hard to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that this whole thing with Derek was actually too good to be true—how could someone like Derek ever love someone like Stiles? What if he was there with Kate? What if he had lied to Stiles? What if this was all a joke— _what if Derek thought Stiles was the joke?_

Taking steady breaths, he pushed on, moving one foot at a time—eyes fixed on the ground; too afraid to look up as he neared the carousel. Stiles stopped when he heard a voice— _Derek’s_.

He felt his hands ball into fists, straining to hear what was being said, but he couldn’t make out what the man was saying. He fought the instinct to keep his eyes to the ground and looked up, zeroing in on Derek and Kate, kissing. Stiles gasped, taking a step back as he felt a weight in his stomach plummeting to the ground.

There was no mistaking it, even with the mostly faded sun. It was Derek—Stiles had heard his voice and recognized the leather jacket, the spiked front of his hair. Stiles watched as Kate had her hands grasping Derek’s jacket—head moving, trying to deepen their kiss. Stiles stood motionless, unable to breathe, to comprehend what he was watching.

All of a sudden, Derek pushed Kate away from him and immediately turned in Stiles’ direction, lips mouthing something inaudible. Stiles still couldn’t move his feet, feeling rooted to the ground. He closed his eyes, feeling the tears he didn’t know had formed slip down his face. He took a shaky breath, feeling a dull ache in his chest. Stiles started to shake his head—trying to will the picture of Derek and Kate kissing out of his mind, forever.

Stiles opened his eyes, immediately connecting with Derek, panic and shock written across his face. Derek said Stiles’ name, loud enough for him to hear this time, and took a step forward. Stiles reacted as an opposite instantly, taking a step back, head shaking. _This couldn’t be happening._ This wasn’t Derek. Derek wouldn’t have done this to Stiles. _He trusted Derek._ He noticed the older man moving quickly towards him, now, and tried matching his pace, moving away.

Stiles looked back at Kate, her smile wide and eyes gleaming. She winked and mouthed something that that Stiles couldn’t make out over the blur of tears that had again formed. His heart was still thundering in his ears and the dull ache was starting to feel sharp, like something stabbing him in the chest. He looked to Derek, the man now closer than before, and Stiles realised he couldn’t do this. Not here. Not with her watching. _Not yet._

He turned and started to run. Derek screamed his name, and Kate’s laughter echoed throughout his body. Stiles ignored them both and continued full speed to his jeep. He kept hearing Derek call and shout his name, pleading for him to stop as he weaved his way up the path. Stiles made it back to his Jeep, ripping the door open and hopping in. He shakily grabbed his keys, managed to get one in the ignition and heard the Jeep roar to life.

Stiles put the vehicle in reverse and slammed his foot to the floor, tires screeching as he moved swiftly across the parking lot. He could still hear Derek calling out, but Stiles didn’t look back; he jammed the Jeep into _Drive_ and raced out of the parking lot.

* * *

He was sure he broke more than a few laws and speed limits on the way back into his house. He thanked some force from higher-up when his father’s patrol car wasn’t in the driveway as he pulled in. Slamming the door behind him, Stiles immediately rushed into the house and started to pace, running his hands through his hair incessantly.

“What just happened?” He asked himself, “what the fuck just happened?”

He knew he must be in some form of shock, or something. He had just seen Derek and Kate kiss. His boyfriend was kissing his psycho ex-girlfriend. _Kate was right._ Stiles stopped pacing: _Kate was right._

Stiles tasted something foul form in his mouth at the very thought, making him dizzy, nauseous. He couldn’t even begin to process what he had just seen. He didn’t understand. _Why?_ Why would Derek kiss Kate? After everything she had done—after everything she had put Derek through! Why would Derek do this to Stiles? _Was Stiles just a fuck?_ He couldn’t be; they haven’t even had sex… If Stiles was so meaningless, then why did Derek try so hard? It didn’t make sense—if Derek didn’t want Stiles, he had been given _plenty_ of opportunities to bow out of the relationship. So why did Derek chase after Stiles if he had gotten what he wanted—what Kate said he wanted? 

It dawned on Stiles then and there that, maybe, he had made a huge mistake—dread started to coil in the pit of his stomach. What did Derek think of Stiles, now? After everything they’d been through, after everything Kate put Derek through, and what Derek has told him—how much he let Stiles in… What must Derek think of Stiles, now that he appeared to believe Derek would ever do something like that to him? Derek was probably disgusted because Stiles had so little faith and trust in their relationship. Stiles didn’t take a moment to really think about what he was seeing. Derek would never willingly put his lips to Kate’s. Stiles groaned and slowly dragged his palms down over his face. How was he ever going to look at Derek now? What could he say to make this better— _could he_ make it better?

Stiles shook his head again, trying to get his thoughts straight, and headed for the front door. He couldn’t let this sit, he had to find Derek and let him know how stupid he was being and pray that Derek could forgive him. Stiles made it to the door, tearing it open, shocked to see Derek already standing with panic in his eyes, mouth open and panting to catch his breath.

Stiles didn’t have a chance to form a single word before Derek was on him, mouth pressed to his roughly.

“Der—” Stiles managed to squeak, before Derek cupped his face with both of his hands, deepening their kiss this time—licking into Stiles’ mouth gently. Stiles returned the kiss, pulling Derek into his house and toeing the front door closed.

“Oh God, Derek— _I’m so sorry,_ ” Stiles gasped when they finally broke apart. Stiles felt Derek shake his head, running his fingers through Derek’s cold hair.

“Don’t be stupid, you have nothing to apologize for.” There was a pregnant silence where both men spent time trying to catch their breaths, helplessly holding onto each other.

“But I ran— _I ran_ ,” Stiles’ voice broke—not understanding why Derek wasn’t upset. Derek shushed him.

“I get it, okay! I really do. You reacted badly but considering what you walked in on—I can’t hold an error in judgement against you,” Derek spoke softly; foreheads touching, Derek’s eyes smiling.

“I should have known better. I never should’ve thought that you’d do that to me, with her of all people. I should have known there was something was going on, and never assumed…” Derek sighed, leaning back to make sure Stiles was looking at him.

“This thing between us, Stiles, as intense as it feels—it’s still new. Walking in on what you did, it was a normal reaction. It’s okay to have doubts and worries. It’s not like we’ve got ten years under our belt—if we do make it to that point, I expect to not have any questions surrounding the word _trust_. The important thing is you realized and knew the difference.” Derek smiled again, tracing a thumb across Stiles’ cheek.

“But—” Stiles started to fight Derek again. He couldn’t forgive Stiles just like that, he didn’t deserve it.

“ _It’s okay, Stiles_. Everyone has doubts. I am guilty of them—they keep us in line, make us realize what’s real, what’s worth fighting for and when its right to take a step back.” Derek tried reassuring Stiles again. Stiles finally felt it setting in. _It’s okay._ Derek was probably one the most amazing people he’d ever know.

“Is this normal?” Stiles asked, nosing embarrassedly at the crook of the older man’s neck. Stiles didn’t understand how any of this could be standard. Feeling like this—was it normal to feel this deeply and this intensely towards another person?

“Is what normal?” Derek questioned.

“How I feel about you,” Stiles whispered, moving from Derek’s neck, facing the man and gazing into Derek’s soft eyes.

“It’s overwhelming, sometimes. I’ve never felt like this about another— _anything._ This can’t be normal.” Derek smiled and leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss onto Stiles’ lips. Heat coiled in Stiles’ stomach, this kiss completely different then the desperate kisses from earlier, but his reaction was still the same. Stiles could feel what Derek was trying to say—all those things they had trouble putting into words.

“It’s like I can feel you everywhere.” Derek gasped in response against Stiles’ lips.

“I’ve never felt like this. It scares me. I’m scared of what it means; it frightens me that another person, that you have made me feel things no other person ever has.” Derek confessed; his cheeks staining with red. Stiles moved them further into the house, backing up against the wall and pulling Derek flush against him.

“What scares me the most,” Derek began, lips grazing the sensitive skin at Stiles neck, before rolling his hips against Stiles’. He felt Derek’s hardness rubbing against his thigh. “What scares me most is the idea of never feeling like this again. It scares me that there will never be _anyone_ to make me feel this way—that I don’t ever want another person to make me feel this way, again. _All I want is you._ ” Derek was panting harshly into Stiles’ ear as they ground their hips against each other, Stiles’ hard cock pushing against Derek.

Stiles reached into Derek’s hair, gripping it tightly, pulling him to eye level—trying to not let the whimper from the older man stutter through him. Stiles smiled at the older man, trying to express to Derek that he understood, that he felt exactly the same way. He stared into Derek’s murky green eyes—pupils completely blown with lust, wanting. He needed Derek to understand what he meant—things that he couldn’t find the right words to say. Stiles moved forward and placed as kiss against Derek’s lips, barely touching—only the tingling sensation of another’s grazing his. Stiles felt the shudder that made its way through Derek’s body and kissed the older man again, with more force this time.

Stiles gently pushed Derek away from him, breaking their kiss. He couldn’t help the cheeky grin that broke out across his face as he reached for the hem of his shirt—pulling it over his head, tossing it to the floor. Derek followed suit almost immediately, shrugging his jacket off, pulling his shirt up over his head and discarding both on the floor, urging Stiles towards the stairs.

Derek paused, kissing him, fingers fumbling with his belt. Stiles broke the kiss with a chuckle, feeling Derek rip the belt from the loops of his jeans. Stiles started to move up the stairs—watching as Derek began to work on his own belt—pulling it off within moments and attacking Stiles’ lips once again. Halfway up the stairs, Derek stopped kissing Stiles—letting out a frustrated growl, pushing past Stiles and racing for the top.

“Someone’s a little eager,” Stiles chuckled, undoing the button of his pants, slowly pulling them to the point where his cock was relieved of the pressure of his jeans. It took all of Stiles’ willpower to not shuck his pants down around his ankles and stroke himself at the low whine that escaped Derek throat.

Stiles reached into his pants slowly—letting his palm slide down the trail of hair and onto the base of his cock, gripping it tightly, a moan escaping his lips. Stiles looked up, biting his lip as he let his hand move roughly up and down his length. He looked at Derek, the man’s back against the wall, pants unbuttoned down to his mid thighs, palming the huge bulge through his tight boxer briefs.

“I need to get my hands on you,” Derek growled and Stiles pushed his pants down further, making his cock spring a little further in his boxers. Stiles watched Derek as he gripped his cock through his underwear, a long moan escaping his lips. He let his pants fall to the floor, stepping out of them as he ascended the stairs, stopping directly in front of Derek at the top. He reached down, knocking Derek’s hand off his cock and replacing it with his own, giving it a squeeze, loving the heat radiating from it.

 _“I need you inside me, Derek,_ ” Stiles said hoarsely but clear enough so Derek understood what he was saying, what he wanted. Stiles took this moment to slip his hand inside Derek’s briefs, feeling the wetness of his precum as he grabbed the older man—watching as Derek keened with his cock in Stiles’ hands, mumbling something unintelligible through wet lips.

“ _I want you to fuck me,_ Derek—I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something so badly in my life,” Stiles whispered against Derek’s ear, his lips grazing the lobe and driving the man wild. Stiles took a step back; with Derek’s cock still in his hand, Stiles lead him into the room, to the edge of his bed. Stiles released Derek’s cock, grinning at the whimper coming from the older man.

“Do you know what I want first?” Stiles growled, leaning forward and taking Derek’s bottom lip between his teeth, biting down gently, running his tongue along the fullness of Derek’s lip.

“What’s that?” Derek managed to groan—still caught between Stiles’ teeth. Stiles released Derek’s lip, letting his hands roam down the man’s sides, feeling goosebumps break out on Derek’s skin in the wake of his touch.

“God, Stiles, stop teasing,” Derek pleaded and Stiles just chuckled. He took his hands off Derek’s hips and reached for the other man’s arms—running his hands up the coils of muscle. Stiles placed his mouth at Derek’s collarbone, trailing kisses across Derek’s chest as he reached his nipple, tongue circling the already erect knub.

“ _I want to taste you,_ ” Stiles groaned, kissing Derek’s nipple before blowing on it, watching the older man shudder. Stiles made his way further down Derek’s body, kissing, licking between the man’s abs, tongue dipping in Derek’s navel as he pulled Derek’s briefs the rest of the way down, letting them pool around his ankles.

“Shit, Stiles—you’re gonna make me cum,” Derek hoarsely panted so Stiles got on his knees, Derek’s cock pointing directly at him—its heady scent filling Stiles’ nose.

“I’ve barely touched you,” Stiles said, hands running up Derek’s legs, massaging.

“Jesus—I know,” Derek whined as Stiles pushed Derek’s cock upwards, flush against his abdomen. Stiles watched as precum leaked from the head of his cock and made its way to the underside of the shaft. Stiles gave into his urges and slowly ran his tongue along the underside of Derek, tasting his boyfriend.

“Hope you can hold back—I’m not finished yet.” Stiles groaned, gripping the shaft in his hands, using his tongue and licking the head of Derek’s cock, enjoying the man’s bitterness.

“You taste _so good_ , Derek,” Stiles moaned, taking Derek’s length is his mouth with a long suck before letting it pop back out.

 _“Fuck,”_ Derek cried. Stiles felt Derek run his hands along the side of his head, nails scratching at his scalp and sending a trickle of pleasure down Stiles’ spine. Stiles took Derek in his mouth again and immediately started bobbing up and down, tongue running along the underside of the head. Derek increased his grip on Stiles’ head—holding him in place. Derek then started to move his hips, fucking deep into Stiles’ mouth. He felt Derek hit the back of his throat and took control, relaxing his mouth to take Derek in further, all the way down until his nose was pressed against Derek’s skin. Stiles looked up at his boyfriend, mouth agape in a silent cry of pleasure, eyes rolled back in his head.

Stiles released Derek’s cock, gasping for breath, feeling tears in the corners of his eyes, built up from deep-throating him. Stiles kissed the tip of Derek’s cock, tonguing his way down the side, lips gliding over Derek’s length.

Derek sighs, grabbing Stiles and pulling him up off his knees, manhandling until he was on the bed. Derek positioned Stiles so that he was spread on all fours, wide and waiting for him.

“It’s my turn now,” Derek growled, pulling Stiles’ boxers down and exposing his bare ass, cock bouncing up and hitting his stomach. Stiles suddenly felt Derek’s lips mouthing at his skin, followed by teeth sinking into the flesh sharply.

“ _Oh, ow!_ ” Stiles inhaled, groaning as Derek starts to lick his bite mark, teasing gently. Stiles reached forward for a pillow to put his face in, to stop himself from moaning too loudly. Derek spreads Stiles’ ass cheeks, as Stiles head shot back up, a low gasp escaping from his lips. Stiles realized exactly what Derek was about to do; he couldn’t help the moan that escaped him at the mere thought of it, until he felt Derek’s hot tongue drag across his hole.

“Oh my— _God; Derek,_ ” Stiles panted breathlessly, arching his lower back and forcing his ass into Derek’s face even more. Stiles heard the older man chuckle before his tongue circled around Stiles’ hole once again; Stiles couldn’t control the guttural noises that were escaping him.

Stiles started to lose focus, getting lost with every slow swipe of Derek’s tongue. He continuously felt himself forcing back against Derek’s mouth, trying to get more of him, to feel more. He didn’t know exactly what more was, but he needed it, wanted Derek to give it to him.

When Derek finally slipped a finger inside of Stiles, he was officially gone. Stiles just smashed his face into the pillow—trying to drown out the desperate, pleasing noises that were coming from him. Derek slid another finger inside Stiles with ease. He was panting heavily at this point—still trying to push his ass back further, to feel more. He wanted to keep his thoughts straight, trying to focus on relaxing; knowing somewhere inside that the moment he tensed up would be the moment that the pain came.

“Derek, _please,_ ” Stiles begged—surprising himself by even forming a sentence with the way Derek’s fingers were twisting inside of him.

“I want to make sure you’re ready,” Derek said huskily, slowly inserting a third finger. Stiles hissed a little, feeling the burn of this intrusion—but he didn’t mind, he needed Derek, now.

“I’m ready, _I don’t care_. I want you now Derek; _fast, please… Need you inside—”_ Stiles gritted his teeth as Derek continued to stretch him. All of a sudden, Derek’s fingers pulled out and Stiles whined at the loss. Still on his hands and knees, Stiles reached over to his bedside table—hauling out a bottle of lube and condoms, tossing them back to Derek. He breathed out deeply, preparing himself for the pressure of Derek’s cock at his entrance. There were a few moments of silence when Stiles looked back to Derek—his fingers playing with a condom packet.

“Everything okay?” Stiles questioned, feeling himself sober up a little—wondering if Derek had decided to change his mind.

“Yeah,” Derek said quickly and gave Stiles a bright smile. “It’s just— _I’m clean.”_ Derek muttered, fumbling with his words, but Stiles understood what he was trying to say.

“I trust you.” Stiles said immediately, reaching behind him and grabbing the condom from Derek’s hands—throwing it to the opposite side of the room. Derek grabbed Stiles and pulled him upwards—his back flush against Derek’s chest. Stiles turned his head to meet Derek’s lips.

 _“You’re going to be the end of me, Stiles.”_ Derek mumbled against his lips before he shoved him back onto all fours. Stiles propped up on his elbows, arching his lower back and sticking his ass in the air.

“When it hurts, tell me to stop.” Derek said, placing the head of his penis at Stiles’ stretched hole. Stiles took a deep breath as Derek started to inch forward, pausing every few moments for Stiles to relax and adjust to Derek’s size. Derek moved further into Stiles, and heard a hiss escape his lips; Stiles cringed at the burning sensation of Derek’s cock stretching him even further.

“No, don’t stop,” Stiles grunted when he felt Derek freeze. He knew Derek was going to protest, so he started to push against Derek, biting on his bottom lip to try and take the edge away from the fire that was consuming him. When Stiles felt Derek’s pelvis against his ass, he knew Derek was all the way inside. Stiles let out a deep breath, willing himself to relax even further. Stiles felt Derek try and push up—rolling and rocking his hips, helping Stiles adjust to the fullness. As the burning sensation started to ebb away, Stiles started to move, only slightly forward and back again—feeling a jolt of pleasure coursing through his body, a sensation he didn’t know how to describe.

Stiles felt Derek put his hands on his hips, stilling them. He felt Derek pull out gently—up to the tip, and then slowly push his way back in. Stiles felt a long moan escape his throat at the sensation of Derek’s cock filling him up.

“This okay?” Stiles heard Derek ask, but the only response he was able to give was the breathy moan that escaped his lips again. Derek soon began to pull out faster, pushing back into Stiles a little harder each time. They started to build a rhythm, Derek’s hands on Stiles’ hips, gripping them tighter as he pushed deeper into Stiles. He was able to gather enough self-control to push back, meeting Derek’s thrusts. He threw his head back, moaning in ecstasy when Derek brushed against something inside him.

 _“Derek!”_ Stiles screamed, slamming himself back against Derek and hitting the spot again.

“ _Fuck! Right there,_ ” Stiles moaned and felt Derek grip onto his hips, stilling his movements and slamming more forcefully, pounding on that spot in Stiles continuously. His eyes rolled back into his head, his vision blurring. Stiles wasn’t aware of the primal sounds that were coming out of him—all he knew was that his dick was diamond hard, slapping against his stomach; his precum leaking all over himself, orgasm building fiercely.

“Derek, I… _I’m going to come,”_ Stiles cried, orgasm fast approaching—Derek slammed into Stiles harder, hitting that sweet spot every time. Stiles screamed Derek’s name as his untouched cock shot his load over the bed, spurt after spurt, Derek still grinding on that spot inside of him.

“I can’t—I can’t,” Stiles sobbed out—his arms giving way, face crashing into the pillow, groaning uncontrollably as Derek moved with him.

 _“Can’t wait to come inside of you,”_ Derek moaned, stilling his movements and leaning down on top—grabbing Stiles’ hands and pushing them up above his hand, lacing their fingers. Stiles felt Derek use his knees to spread Stiles’ ass even wider, laying flush against Stiles’ back. He felt Derek start thrusting once again, only he felt deeper inside of Stiles than he was before.

Stiles heard Derek panting behind him—tongue running across the shell of his ear.

“Feels so good, Stiles,” Derek whimpered, jerking his hips again, driving deeper and deeper into Stiles, deeper than he ever thought possible.

 _“I need you,”_ Stiles panted into the pillow, making a fist with his and Derek’s hands.

“I’m right here Stiles—I’m right here,” Stiles felt Derek’s hips begin to stutter, forcing him further and further into the mattress.

 _“I want to feel you in me, Derek.._ I want you make me— _fill me up,_ Derek. I need you to— _I need you._ ” Stiles felt himself come completely undone, feeling nothing other than the constant, jagged movements of Derek’s cock inside of him. Stiles heard Derek mouthing things against his ear, not hearing anything over the panting. Stiles moaned at the slickness of their bodies, Derek’s torso sliding against Stiles’ back, as he tried helplessly to push his ass up against Derek’s pelvis.

 _“Stiles! Oh,_ ” Derek screamed, voice completely broken—followed by his sharp cry. Stiles felt his final thrusts followed by overwhelming pressure as Derek filled Stiles, coming long and deep inside him. Stiles gasped at the sensation as Derek groaned and shook violently, collapsing completely on top of Stiles.

As a few moments passed, the only sounds that filled the air were the noises of the pair panting, trying to catch their breath.

“That was…” Stiles started to say, but Derek’s lazy murmur cut him off.

 _“Amazing,”_ Derek finally rolled off Stiles, pulling himself out. Stiles winced slightly, now beginning to sense the ache of what they had done.

“How are you feeling?” Derek asked, and Stiles sighed happily.

 _“Fucked,”_ he grinned as the older man chuckled.

“I know how you feel. Completely boneless,” Stiles couldn’t help the warmth that fluttered in the pit of his stomach, knowing he was the one able to do that to Derek. Stiles heard Derek groan before he was pulled up against him, nuzzling comfortably into the warmth of Derek’s shoulder...

_“Stiles?”_

His eyes ripped opened immediately, widened in complete shock—tensing against Derek’s body.

_“Who owns this jacket, Stiles? Why are there clothes all over the floor?”_

Stiles felt Derek freeze at his Father’s voice. He heard his father’s footsteps pounding up the stairs, as he scrambled for a blanket to cover their naked bodies. He thought momentarily of shoving Derek into the closet, finding some place for him to hide, but he knew better. His father wasn’t stupid; he’d seen two sets of clothes. He’d look for Derek.

His father was opening the door and Stiles squeezed his eyes shut, bathing in the glow of orange as his father flicked the lights on. He felt a shiver go down his spine while he waited for something—a gasp, the cock of his father’s gun—something. _Anything_.

Stiles felt Derek’s hand cover his, and he found the will to open his eyes. He immediately turned to Derek, looking to the other man, surprised to see the reassurance in his eyes. He expected Derek to be scared or unsure, but all he found was confidence and certainty. It was as if Derek had expected this—that he knew it would happen eventually and faced that fact, unafraid of the consequences.

It gave Stiles the strength to rip his gaze away from Derek and look at his father. He felt his blood run cold at the sight—pure rage was written across his Father’s features; he’d never seen the man look like this before. The shivers that ran down Stiles’ back only made him squeeze Derek’s hand tighter. Stiles watched as his father took the bundle of clothes in his hands and slammed them angrily to the floor.

 _“Mr. Hale,”_ Stiles didn’t recognize his father’s voice, it was so harsh; _“put your clothes on… Then get the fuck out of my home and away from my son.”_


	14. Declaration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Please enjoy! I am working through all the comments! Thanks to everyone who commented. Also thanks to Weyheytoodeep for betaing for me once again! You are amazing <3

Chapter 14: Declaration (Part 2)  
 _Stiles_

Stiles watched as Derek remained motionless while his father stood there, staring them down—challenging Derek to do anything other than get up and leave.

“I think we should talk about this,” Derek said calmly. He held Stiles’ hand in his, clutching it tightly.

“I think,” the Sheriff spat, “that you should get the fuck out of my house.” There was another awkward silence.

“Don’t make me say it again,” Stiles’ father warned, still glaring. Stiles watched as Derek continuously met his father’s gaze, never backing down like he expected him to— it was how most people reacted when they learned what it was like to see the Sheriff’s bad side.

“Dad, can you leave the room so we can get dressed?” Stiles asked softly, afraid that using a harsher tone might set his father completely off. He expected his father to grimace and felt himself preparing for a look of anger and disappointment, but it never came. His father never took his gaze away from Derek: he stood there for a few more moments before turning abruptly and leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Oh God, Derek; I am so sorry.” Stiles released the other man’s hand and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Don’t be sorry, Stiles.” Derek murmured into his neck, “don’t be sorry for _this._ Don’t be sorry for _us._ ” Derek leaned back, cupping Stiles’ cheek and pressed a kiss lightly to his lips. It seemed to settle the flurry that was in Stiles stomach—he felt moments away from heaving his anxieties and stress all over the floor, or Derek.

“How are you not freaking out?” Stiles asked against Derek’s lips. The other man shrugged his shoulders, standing, grabbing his clothes from the floor and putting them on.

“Your father doesn’t scare me,” Derek started. “You’re legal. You can make your own decisions. The worst he can do is getting me banned from teaching for the rest of my life.” Derek sighed, grabbing Stiles’ clothes and throwing them to him, motioning for him to get dressed.

“I’m yours, Stiles. Nothing, not even your father, is going to change that.” Stiles just stared.

“You were expecting this?” Derek nodded at him.

“It was only a matter of time, with Kate coming into the picture.”   
  
Stiles couldn’t believe it. He felt like he was going to have a mental breakdown for the both of them. He still didn’t understand how Derek was so calm, because he certainly wasn’t—they both knew that this was coming; they even prepared for it the best way they could, but now that the time had come, it sucked. It _really_ sucked.

“Derek, this isn’t something you just shrug at. This is your job and your life.” Derek gave him a slightly exasperated look, his impassive expression turning into a stressed one—the one that Stiles had been expecting, the one he wanted to see in this moment. Having Derek freak out with him right now was what Stiles needed—he needed to know that he wasn’t overreacting in this moment.

“What do you want me to say?” Derek asked. “We prepared for this, we expected this. We made the choice to follow through on our relationship. Am I scared? _Of course_ I am—I’m only human. Does the thought of losing my job and something I love worry me? _Of course_ it does, but there are other jobs out there, other things that I _love_.” Derek walked over to Stiles and cupped his face.

“I’ll figure it out— _we’ll_ figure it out.” Stiles sighed and placed his hand over Derek’s. He stood up and started to get dressed—there was no way his father was going to wait any longer.

“Right now, I _am_ worried about you. I need to be there for you. This isn’t some nameless person we are about to face. It’s your father, and it isn’t something that is going to be easy for you. I need to be here for you in this moment. Then, when this is all over and it comes crashing down around me… _You_ can be there for _me_.” Stiles nodded and finished dressing, tugging on a pair of sweatpants. He understood. Derek was keeping himself in check. They needed to deal with one situation at a time.

“Let’s go get this over with.” Stiles groaned knowing that his father was probably moments away from racing back up the stairs. Derek nodded and led the way out of the room, his hand clasping Stiles’. He had no idea what was going to happen with his father. He wished he had time to gather some thoughts—have a proper freak out, with some frantic pacing around his room.  He’d never seen his father this mad before. Stiles expected the worst: Derek losing his job, he probably won’t see the outdoors for the rest of his life, and having his father demand that he stayed away from Derek. Stiles had no intentions of not seeing Derek—he was just expecting his father to go through the roof.

When they got downstairs, his father met them at the bottom; Stiles watched as his father’s eyes focused on his and Derek’s linked hands. There was a moment of pure silence—it felt like it lasted forever, but finally Derek spoke.

“I know that you’re angry right now, Mr. Stilinski, and I understand—I probably would be mad, too. I’d like it if we sat down together to talk about this.” Stiles father just snorted and pointed towards the door.

“There is nothing you have to say that I want to hear, now get out of my home.” Derek sighed and squeezing Stiles’ hand gently.

_“Do I have to repeat myself?”_

“Mr. Stilinski,” Derek started, but Stiles’ father shut him down immediately.

“You took advantage of my son and now you’re trespassing!” The Sheriff boomed.

 _“Dad!”_ Stiles reprimanded; his father had just crossed the line.

“I took advantage of _no one_ ,” Derek gritted; Stiles was taken aback at the tension in his voice.

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Stiles’ father spoke dangerously, taking a step closer to Derek.

“You heard me, _Sheriff_.” Derek stood his ground.

“Dad, Derek didn’t take advantage of me! We are both willing partners!” Stiles said, and his father looked at him for the first time since he’d caught them in bed. The icy look forced Stiles’ next words right back down his throat.

“I said, _get out of my house._ ”

“I don’t want to leave Stiles here with you this angry,” Derek spoke up again.

“You don’t have a choice. Now, get out before I have someone come here and drag you out in cuffs.” Stiles ran his hand over his face watching as Derek and his father stood face-to-face, ready to go to war. His father wasn’t joking, Stiles could tell; he also knew that Derek wasn’t going to go anywhere until he was ready.

“Derek,” Stiles spoke up, watching the man’s gaze leave his father.

“I think it’s best if you leave.” The hurt that washed across Derek’s face tore a piece from Stiles’ chest. With their hands connected, Stiles dragged them both to the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” his father spoke, addressing Stiles for the first time since the shit hit the fan.

“I’ll be right back,” Stiles snapped—watching his father recoil slightly. Stiles was angry: angry with his father for overreacting, for how he was treating Derek, and how he was treating his own son. Stiles was angry at the fact that his father was making him choose, in this moment. Him, or Derek: Stiles knew that, for right now, it had to be his father, and it killed him because Stiles needed Derek—just about as much as Derek needed Stiles.

They got their shoes on and left, Stiles slamming the door behind them.

“I’m sorry,” Stiles said, forcing himself to look Derek in the eyes—afraid of the emotion that might be displayed. “I just don’t want to see you behind bars; this situation doesn’t need to get any worse.”   
  
Derek sighed and nodded—Stiles knew he understood even though he didn’t like the idea.

“I just think your father is too angry to have a rational conversation, right now. I don’t want you to say something he’s not going to like, and overreact.” Stiles agreed—whatever he and his father were going to talk about wasn’t going to end happily.

“I have to get back inside. I will handle my father.” Stiles pulled Derek into a hug, the other man wrapping his arms tightly around Stiles.

“If anything happens—you call me! You’re always welcome with me,” Derek whispered. Stiles nodded, pulling his hand away and resting it on Derek’s cheek.

“I’ll talk to you when I can. Don’t worry too much; everything is going to be fine.” Stiles spoke softly—trying to convince himself of the lie he’d just told. Derek nodded; Stiles was unsure if he had convinced Derek, or not. Derek wasn’t stupid so he probably hadn’t, but there really wasn’t much choice.

Stiles took his hands away and watched the other man walk to his car a few houses down. Stiles sighed deeply, turning around and heading back into his house. He found his father sitting at the kitchen table, bottle of scotch already open and a glass half-filled in front of him.

“Sit down, Stiles.” His tone wasn’t as angry as a few moments ago, but Stiles knew he was fuming underneath it all. Stiles took a seat at the opposite end of the table, crossing his arms as he sat.

“Want to explain to me what I just walked in on?” His father asked, but Stiles thought it was all pretty self-explanatory.

“Which part?” He asked neutrally, trying not to let his irritation come through in his voice. His anger hadn’t dissipated whatsoever. He understood that his father wasn’t going to react well, but this was over the top. The bottle of scotch propped upon the table was out of hand, and they both knew it shouldn’t even be in the house, regardless of any situation. Stiles was angry; he wasn’t going to let anyone dictate his life, not even his father, so he’d be damned if he let his father try to find answers at the bottom of a bottle again.

“ _Which part,_ ” Stiles heard his father mutter mockingly under his breath. “The part where I came home to clothes thrown all around the house! Where I found my son in bed, naked, with one of his teachers!” Stiles flinched slightly as his father’s voice rose, arms outstretched.

“What do you want me to explain, exactly?” Stiles asked. Did his father want to know when they got together? What they were doing _before_ he walked in?

“Why?”

“Why, _what?_ I don’t understand what you want me to explain!” His father just gaped at him.

“Did you and mom ever have to explain _your_ relationship?” Stiles was willing to admit, if he was looking for acceptance from his father, bringing up his mother wasn’t a good start. The thing was, Stiles didn’t want to succumb to his father’s will or rules, when it came to Derek. He wanted to let his father know that whatever he thought or said didn’t matter, because he was going to be with Derek regardless.

“A _relationship?_ ” The Sheriff questioned. “The sneaking around you’ve been doing is what you call _a relationship?_ Mr. Hale is a grown-ass-man and he should know better!” His father gulped down the amber liquid in his glass.

“You should know better, Stiles! This— _whatever it is_ , it’s wrong.”

“What’s so wrong about it? Tell me! Is it because he’s my teacher? ‘Cause I’m his student? I can tell you that our relationship is strictly student-teacher within those walls. I work for my grades and he doesn’t hand them over like I’m something special. Is it his age? He’s only five years older—and I’m eighteen—legal. Tell me, how is what we have _wrong?_ ” Stiles’ father just shook his head.  
  
“Mr. Hale is in a position of authority, and he took advantage of that—took advantage of my son! That’s what’s wrong!” Stiles rolled his eyes.

“He didn’t take advantage of me, don’t you get that?”   
  
His father shook his head and filled his glass again. “You don’t see it, son, because you’re caught up in your feelings for him.”   
  
Stiles just stared in shock—nothing that he was saying was getting through to his father. Was there a point? Stiles’ thoughts, opinions and feelings didn’t matter when compared to what his father _thought_ he knew.

“Are we done here?” Stiles said, rising from his seat.

“Sit down!” Stiles remained standing.

“Why? You’re not going to listen to me, or what I’ve got to say, so what’s the point?”

“How about this: you’re not to see him again. I will be contacting the school on Monday, and will have him removed. I may not be able to arrest him for this, but I’ll sure as Hell make certain that he doesn’t see the inside of a classroom again, to take advantage of any other students.”   
  
Stiles saw red. _“No.”_

“You don’t have a choice in this,” his father replied.

“You don’t think?” Stiles responded hotly.

“Stop acting like a child, Stiles—I’m telling you that you’re not going to see him again,” his father’s tone telling him that he had made his final decision.

“This is me telling you, no.” It was Stiles turn to give the orders—his tone letting his father know that he was just as serious.

“This isn’t a joke, Stiles! This is serious: a man’s life is ruined, who knows what effect it’ll have on you when people find out; what they’ll think of my ability to keep this town safe, if I couldn’t even keep my son safe!”   
  
Stiles didn’t care—they had been prepared for the world finding out. He didn’t care what people thought—one thing that came with accepting yourself completely was that the only opinion that matters is your own.

“This isn’t a game— _it isn’t a test_ , Stiles! You’re not to speak to Mr. Hale again.”

“Don’t you care about what I have to say? How I feel? You honestly think I didn’t fret over this before we started? How afraid I was if anyone found out? What would happen—Derek losing his job, disappointing you?”   
  
Stiles felt the anger he was feeling turn into something different: a sadness he hadn’t felt in a long time—like when his mother had died, how helpless he felt. Stiles lost her and he had no control over that. He had no control over being gay, and how wrong it felt, at first—how helpless he felt and how badly he wanted to be normal like Scott and the other guys at school. He wasn’t going to let it in this time, though; it didn’t matter what his father said. Stiles wasn’t going to be helpless again: he had control. It was his life and his alone to dictate and to live.

“I chose to be with Derek anyway. We took things slow—at a pace I was comfortable with. He treats me like everyone wishes their partner would treat them. I’ve fallen in love with him, dad.” Stiles felt nauseous with the emotions that were overcoming him. The anger, guilt, sadness, anxiety, happiness—everything that was happening, and everything that Derek made Stiles feel, was bubbling at the surface.

 _“I love him,”_ Stiles repeated, resisting the urge to wipe his eyes from the burning of tears starting to form. “You’re not going to tell me who to love, or who to be with. I’m sorry; you don’t have that right, only I do.” Stiles’ father lifted the glass to his lips again.

“ _Your mother_ would be _so_ disappointed in you right now,” he murmured. Stiles felt his stomach plummet at his father’s words, like something was breaking inside of him. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth—fury coursing through him like he had never felt before.

“ _I’m_ not the one she’d be disappointed in,” he spat.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” His father looked up, a fire in his eyes.

“Take another sip, dad! Tell me if you find the answer in the bottom of that glass.”

“You _don’t_ get to speak to me like that,” his father roared, but Stiles didn’t miss a beat.

“I get to speak to you however I want!” Stiles yelled. “I’ve found happiness, I’ve found someone who loves me for me—no questions asked! Mom wouldn’t be disappointed in my happiness, but in your inability to deal with a problem without a half a bottle of scotch pulsing through your body! She’d be disappointed in that,” he thundered—his father visibly taken back, shock written over his face.

“I forgave you after mom died! You drank your sorrows and I pieced myself together alone, always wondering if I was going to lose another parent. I forgave you because _we_ lost her, and I understood! I understood the pain, and I understood the loss, but I don’t understand this.” Stiles motioned towards the bottle.

“Things get rough, its life, but you deal with things head on, not by downing a bottle and barking orders!” Stiles finished—breathless. He looked down at his father, the older man just staring at the half bottle of liquor in front of him, an unreadable expression on his face.

“I’m happy, Dad. Why can’t you accept that? This thing with me and Derek isn’t just some fling—I’m not being used, and I _am not_ using him. This is something I want—I want it to be permanent. I’m not going to stop seeing him, and I don’t need your permission.” Stiles spoke and a silence washed over them; it was awkward. Stiles stared at his father, who was lost in thought, still staring through the bottle of scotch on the table.

“If you stay with him, you leave this house,” the man finally said, quietly. Stiles barely heard him but he understood, blood running cold.

“ _What?_ ” he whispered.

“If you won’t listen to me or follow the rules of this house, then you can’t live here anymore. Those are my terms.” Stiles couldn’t believe what he was hearing—he knew it would be bad, the outcome of all this, but he never thought that his father was capable of this.

“You’re making me _choose?_ ” Stiles voice cracked.

“You can’t be with him and stay under this roof. I’m sorry.” Stiles just shook his head, running his hand over his face, bottom lip caught between his teeth. His mind was racing; what was he going to do? He’d never forgive himself if he ended it with Derek—but if he doesn’t, _well,_ he doesn’t have a place to live. He could never forgive his father for making him do this.

“Your apology means _nothing,_ ” Stiles choked, tears spilling freely down his face. “I’ll go pack a bag.”

Stiles was downstairs five minutes later with a duffle bag full of clothes, his school stuff, laptop and a few other things. He dropped his things to the floor and walked back to the dining room, snatching his keys off the table.

“There is going to be a time,” Stiles started, his voice thick and shaky; “you are going to look back at this moment.” Tears were flowing down over his cheeks again. “You’re going to look back and realize the fucking mistake you’ve just made, and know this:” Stiles stopped, staring at his father until the other man met his gaze.

“… _I’m never going to forgive you for this._ ” Stiles turned around, grabbed his bags and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Stiles didn’t know where he was going until he had already parked in front of Scott’s house. He sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel; he didn’t know what to do. He should go to Derek’s—he knew he’d be welcomed there. He should start the car again and head to the other side of town, where Derek was probably freaking out. Instead, he grabbed his bag from the back of his jeep, walked up to Scott’s house and rang the bell.

Moments later, Scott answered in a shirt and a pair of boxers, looking slightly confused. The relief that Stiles felt put things in perspective in that very moment; he’d questioned his relationship with Scott so much recently, wondering if he needed him in his life. Stiles got his answer. In that instant, he knew that Scott was his rock— _his person_. Derek would be that for him someday, but Scott was his _today_ , and despite everything that happened between them, Stiles still automatically turned to Scott.

“Stiles! What are y—are you okay?” he asked immediately. Stiles didn’t know how to answer, he really wasn’t okay—he was the farthest thing from it. Stiles pressed his tongue against his bottom row of teeth forcefully as a distraction from the tears that were threatening to spill over his cheeks.

“No, Scottie,” Stiles used his friend’s childhood nickname, “I’m so far from okay.” Scott immediately pulled Stiles into a tight embrace, the sudden movement knocking a sob from Stiles’ lips.

“Can I stay the night?” Stiles choked out and he felt Scott nod.

“You can stay here as long as you need.” Scott reassured him and Stiles sobbed into Scott’s neck—letting it all out, everything that had been happening: the pent-up emotions that Stiles held back through his fight with Scott; his frustrations with people like Jackson and Greenberg; the stress that Kate brought into Stiles’ life, Stiles’ relationship. He cried for his father, who had just kicked him out of his home, making him choose between two things that he loved. He cried for Derek—for all the things the man had been through, and for everything he was about to go through. That man had an inner strength that Stiles didn’t understand—one he couldn’t dream of having.

Scott managed to move them into the house, setting up camp in the living room until Stiles finished unleashing all of the emotions he needed to. Scott told him that they’d be alone all night because his mother was working the night shift. Stiles was grateful for that, knowing that Melissa would force an explanation out of him—one that he knew Scott wouldn’t need.

Stiles battled with the explanation he _was_ going to give Scott. He wanted to tell his friend the truth—at this point, what did it really matter? Things couldn’t get worse for Derek—Scott’s knowing didn’t affect the outcome anymore. Stiles was just worried about what Scott would think of him; he was afraid that Scott would react badly, like his father had. He didn’t have it in him to make another choice like that tonight.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Scott spoke after a while. They were on the sofa, Stiles’ head resting in Scott’s lap—the other man rubbing his shoulder, offering as much comfort as possible. They had been in a similar position many times before—after Stiles’ mother died, the aftermath of a panic attack, or a wave of pain that the loss of his mother provided.

“You don’t have to—just having you here is good enough. Just let me know what you need, and I‘ll do my best.”  
  
Stiles nodded: there was the out he was looking for. He didn’t need to explain what had just happened—what had been happening, but he quickly reminded himself that it really didn’t matter anymore.

“Dad kicked me out,” Stiles found himself saying, and he felt Scott tense underneath him.

“We were fighting. He made me choose, and I did,” Stiles whispered, voice soft, lacking the emotion it had before. He was just so tired, he felt drained; drained of everything. He didn’t want to feel anymore—just for a little while, to give himself a break.

“ _Made you choose?_ ” Scott questioned, and Stiles couldn’t help the bitter chuckle that escaped from him.

“It was either follow his rules and never see Derek, or leave... I left.” It was funny how easily everything had been summed up. Something that left Stiles feeling more gutted than he had felt in a long time was summed up in a twenty to thirty word conversation.

“That doesn’t sound like him, Stiles—why would he do something like that?” Scott asked. Stiles would have thought the same thing, but things didn’t work out that way. Stiles thought that if his father had ever found out, that he’d be upset, but that things would be okay—that it wouldn’t come between him and his father like it had.

“Dating your teacher evokes certain reactions one wouldn’t expect,” Stiles said bitterly, looking up into Scott’s face and seeing the shocked expression he had pictured.

It all came stumbling across Stiles’ lips after that. Derek strong-arming him into private lessons to boost his grade—how Stiles couldn’t help but flirt shamelessly with Derek. Stiles couldn’t help the small smile that would dance across his face as he relived those moments. Scott chuckled, reacting the way Stiles thought he would, to the line of lesbian Disney princess smut he had written and read out to Derek. How Derek gave him his cell phone number—only with professional intentions, in case Stiles ever needed help. Stiles told Scott that he couldn’t stop himself and started texting Derek, anyway—even more surprised that Derek always responded to him. How Derek started to flirt back, how his sister Laura tricked Stiles into having dinner with them. How Derek kissed him. That they decided to have a relationship at any cost, because they felt like it was something they should explore.   
  
Stiles told Scott about Kate—how he had learned from Lydia that Kate was Allison’s aunt, and that she was Derek’s crazy ex who was hell-bent on getting back with him. He explained the mishap at the park, which lead to Stiles and Derek getting intimate, and his father finding out—continuing straight to the events that had sent him knocking on Scott’s door.

“ _Jesus,_ Stiles… I had no idea.” He had sat up beside Scott during the retelling of his life over the past few weeks, and now, he shrugged his shoulders.

“That was the point—no one was supposed to know, it was kind of… Well, the point,” Scott nodded at him. He felt anxious, Scott still hadn’t mentioned the fact that Derek was his teacher, or revealed his thoughts on it.

“I’m kind of blown away that you bagged someone like Mr. Hale… I mean—I may be straight, but I know when a guy is good looking, and _damn,_ Stiles!” Scott grinned and Stiles couldn’t help but laugh, pulling Scott into a tight embrace.

 _“Thank you,”_ he muttered into Scott’s shoulder.

“What for? It’s what friends do!” Stiles’ grin got wider. “Truthfully, I’m sorry that this happened to you, but _I am_ glad that you came to me. I figured that you would have gone to Derek right away. I figured I would be the last on the list.” Stiles pulled back from Scott, a frown forming on his face.

“I thought you were, too, for a while.” Stiles said honestly. “But I was parked outside your door before I even thought about where I was going. What does that say about us? You’ve been my friend for what feels like my whole life. You’re family, and maybe having this happen really set that in stone for me—that despite what happens between us, I can always come to you: I can rely on you.” Stiles fiddled with his fingers as he spoke, almost feeling exposed. He and Scott had been known to have a serious conversation once in a while, but somehow, this one felt different—it was more real and raw. Maybe it was because it was about them and their own relationship, as opposed to their relationships with other people.

“I’ve always thought of you as my brother,” Scott said shyly, almost as if it was a big secret.

“Me too, buddy.” Stiles put his arm around his brother—a huge grin on his face.

“Now, where are those video games you promised me earlier? Just because my life has gone down the shitter, doesn’t mean I can’t use a distraction!” Scott hopped to his feet, pulling Stiles up with him.

Stiles took out his phone sending Derek a text, telling him that things didn’t go well with his dad, but he was okay and at Scott’s for the night. That he would explain tomorrow and then they’d figure things out.

“Up to my room, it is!” Scott said, racing towards the stairs and grabbing Stiles’ bag along the way. Stiles shoved his phone in his pocket and followed his friend, laughing. He knew that he had a lot to deal with over the next few days—his life was literally a mess, but since there was absolutely nothing he could do right now, he figured that he deserved to be a kid again, even if it was only for tonight.

* * *

Stiles woke up early the next morning, and was out in his jeep before Scott had even gotten out of bed. Despite the fun night with Scott, his problems weighed too heavily on his mind to completely ignore. When they settled down to sleep, Stiles had laid awake, thinking. What was he going to do? What were his options? He had a place to live—either Scott’s, or maybe Derek’s, once he’d informed him of what happened. Money would be an issue—he’d have to take up more shifts, or get a better job. He wasn’t going to just mooch off of Derek, or Scott. After high school, depending on which places he got accepted for college or university, Stiles knew he’d have to look for a new place to live.

Stiles pulled up in front of Derek’s and he knew his boyfriend was waiting for him—he had probably gotten as little sleep as Stiles did, answering his texts immediately after Stiles sent them when he woke. He couldn’t imagine what was going through Derek’s head—how he must be feeling? His world was crashing around him just as much as Stiles’ was.

It hit Stiles as he was climbing the stairs that he hadn’t even told Derek how he had patched things up with Scott. It immediately made Stiles panic, hoping Derek didn’t think he chose Scott, someone he didn’t want to be around at the moment, over Derek. That wasn’t the case at all—Stiles just hoped that Derek wasn’t thinking the worst right now.

He rang the doorbell and he heard the sound of rushed footsteps. Laura’s worried face was the one to greet him.

“Oh my God, you’re okay!” She pulled Stiles into a tight hug—dragging him into the house at the same time.

“Derek! Get down here, it’s Stiles!” Laura released him and yelled for her brother.

“Are you okay? Can I get you anything? Come in, sit down—you look almost as bad as Derek does!” Laura pulled and sat him on the sofa in their living room. She wasn’t wrong about looking like crap, but Stiles felt even worse than he looked. His eyes were blood shot and still bright red from crying and lack of sleep.

“I’m fine,” he said politely and Laura frowned at him—opening her mouth to say something, but Derek appeared right behind her. He looked worse than Stiles did: he was pale—more so than usual, with dark circles around his eyes, almost appearing a little sunken-in from lack of sleep, or none at all. His eyes were red like Stiles’, indicating that he wasn’t the only one who had shed a few tears.

“ _Derek,_ ” Stiles exhaled, getting up from the sofa and latching on to the older man. Stiles enjoyed the warmth that overcame him—the sense of security that washed over him just by being in Derek’s presence.

“Are you okay?” Stiles asked, and Derek immediately broke the embrace, looking at him incredulously.

“I’m fine, but more importantly—are you okay? That’s what I should really be asking, here! What happened?” Derek had concern written over his tired features. Stiles sighed and made his way back to the sofa, plopping himself down—Derek sitting right next to him.

“I’m going to give you two some privacy.” Laura pointed toward the kitchen, and Stiles gave the woman a nod.

“She’s going to listen in, isn’t she?” Stiles asked quietly, and Derek just snorted.

“With her ear to the wall!”

“…Doesn’t surprise me!” Stiles supressed a chuckle and shook his head—he didn’t expect any less from her. It wasn’t like she wasn’t going to find out, either way. Derek nodded—moving even closer to Stiles, taking Stiles’ hand in his.   
  
“Tell me what happened?” He asked again, bringing Stiles’ hand up to his lips. Stiles sighed but smiled, sadly.

“It didn’t go very well.” Derek gripped Stiles’ hands tighter in reassurance.

“… He kicked me out.” Derek’s eyes widened in surprise and Stiles heard a softly muttered _‘motherfucker’_ from Laura, in the kitchen.

“Stiles—he didn’t!” Derek responded sadly, a hand coming up to cup Stiles’ face. Stiles nodded into Derek’s hand, the familiar sensation of tears starting to burn his eyes, again.

“He said that you took advantage of me—that I _couldn’t tell_ because of my feelings for you. He told me _you_ should have known better, because you’re the adult, and you had the authority.”   
  
Stiles looked into Derek’s eyes and watched the anger flare in them. He knew it had taken a lot of willpower to leave Stiles alone with his father—probably just as much as it was taking right now for Derek to swallow his rage at the moment.

“Go on,” Derek nodded, encouraging him.

“He told me that my mother would have been disappointed in me.” Now, Stiles’ voice broke—his father knew those words would shatter him, and they did. Stiles liked to think that his mother would’ve accepted Derek—he was almost certain that she would have, but obviously, he’d never know for sure.

“He started drinking, right after you left.” Derek’s eyes immediately narrowed.

“Did he hurt you?” The implication behind Derek’s words snapped Stiles out of the emotional daze he had felt himself drift into.

“No! No, Derek! He didn’t touch me—he isn’t like that, no matter the situation.” Stiles watched as Derek relaxed visibly, if only slightly.

“ _Anyway_ , I told him she’d be disappointed _in him_ , because when things got tough, he tried to find his answers in the bottle.” Stiles didn’t need to look at Derek to know that the small gasp was of one of shock at Stiles’ words.

“It went even more downhill from there. I tried to explain to him what you mean to me—that what we have isn’t what he was assuming. He wouldn’t listen _to anything_ , and then he gave me the ultimatum: to stop seeing you, or leave.” Stiles explained further, looking Derek in the eyes and watching the range of emotions the other man was going through.

“… _I left_.”

“Jesus, Stiles,” Derek exhaled.

“I’m so sorry—I—this would have never happened if—” Stiles cut Derek off.

“It doesn’t matter!” Derek looked at Stiles with confusion.

“It does, Stiles! It all matters! This wouldn’t have happened to you if we didn’t… If we weren’t…” Derek’s words died in his throat, as Stiles felt anger bubble up in his.

“Don’t say that! Don’t you _dare_ say that to me! After everything?” Stiles watched Derek flinch slightly at his harsh tone.

“I chose you, and if I had to repeat it, I—I would have chosen you again! It’s my life, Derek! _It’s mine_ —I make my own choices.” Stiles softened his voice—this time, reaching forward to cup Derek’s cheek.

“We promised each other that we were going to see this through—no matter what the outcome. I’m not going to let anyone dictate my life or my relationships for me. If this ends, it’s going to be because _we_ couldn’t make this work, and not because someone else told us it couldn’t.” Stiles barely finished before Derek’s lips crashed into his—stealing the rest of the breath that Stiles had.

“I think I love you,” Derek whispered, lips gently brushing over Stiles’.

“It’s all so fast and crazy, but I can’t help it. I feel like I’m going to explode from holding it all in. I love you, Stiles. I love you! _I love you._ I love—”Stiles closed the gap between them, kissing Derek back softly.

“I love you, too.” Stiles grinned into another kiss—floating on cloud nine with the amount of happiness and joy that was overwhelming him in this very moment.

“This is all so crazy. What are we going to do?” He murmured and Derek responded with a hum, slowly kissing down Stiles’ jaw.

“ _Derek_ —I’m serious! As much as I want to follow this train of thought, there are still _a few things_ we need to talk about.” Derek groaned and pouted—Stiles almost vomited from the overwhelming cuteness.

“Can’t we just _bask_ in this? I really just want to enjoy this feeling.” Derek kept pouting as Stiles rolled his eyes.

“We will, but first—we need to finish talking.” Derek sighed and reluctantly moved back—his fingers slowly tracing along Stiles’ palm and forearm, proving to be a big distraction.

 _“Fiiiine.”_ Derek grinned, biting on his bottom lip slightly, knowing that his gentle touches were starting to drive Stiles wild.

“I made up with Scott,” Stiles continued, as Derek hummed under his breath.

“I figured, since you spent the night over there.”

“But there’s a little more to it than that,” Stiles started, and that seemed to get Derek’s attention.

“I told Scott about us— _I know_ I should have asked, but after what happened with my dad, I felt like it didn’t really matter anymore.” Stiles waited cautiously, worried about how Derek might react to the news that Stiles was just about to tell him.

“… He’s going to report me, isn’t he?” Derek asked. Stiles nodded, and Derek sighed heavily.

“It’s going to be okay,” Derek said after a few moments—leaning forward with his hands on Stiles’ shoulders. “We expected this—I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but we’re okay. I don’t regret this.” Derek smiled genuinely—there was a hint of sadness in his voice, but that was to be expected after all that had happened.

“ _Now_ , we’ll get you bag from the jeep later,” Derek said suddenly standing up—his erection straining in his tight, black jeans.

“Don’t look so surprised—you’re staying here, and that’s final.” Derek pulled Stiles to his feet, arm circling around his waist and holding him tightly.

“Are we going to _bask_ , now?” Stiles joked. Derek grinned, nuzzling Stiles’ cheek, scratching against it with his stubble.

“I was thinking about _Christening my bed.”_ Stiles couldn’t stop the moan that escaped his lips as Derek bit down on his earlobe.

“Why are we still standing here?” he exclaimed, stepping back from Derek and running to the stairs leading to Derek’s room. He felt a burst of laughter escape him, as Derek came thundering behind him, scooping him up and throwing him over his shoulders.

“You don’t need to manhandle me!” Stiles said as he slapped Derek’s ass.

“You didn’t seem to mind _last time_ ,” Derek teased; Stiles tried not to groan at the thought of Derek pinning him to the mattress.

Stiles couldn’t help but think that this was something truly crazy—that everything was happening a little too fast, and maybe as something naïve on both parts. He couldn’t seem to consider the possibility that it was the wrong decision. He knew that he had a lot to face in the coming weeks at school, but that he was going to be okay with support from Derek and his friends.   
  
Stiles didn’t know where he and his father stood—or how long it would take to get back the relationship they once had—one that was open, and good. Stiles really tried hard to not think too much about what it all meant, because there was still so much dust to settle before Stiles could figure what was going to happen from now on. Either way, he knew that he’d be happy because the person he loved, loved him back, and for right now?

 _That was all that mattered_.


	15. Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this one got to be quick because I am literally in the middle of moving here now but I wanted to get this posted while I still had internet. I know it has been a while between updates. I have been having a severe writers block when it comes to this story. What you see here is what I’ve sat and forced myself to write. I hope it’s good—I’m still unsure if it is—but enjoy nonetheless. Thanks again who weyheytoodeep for betaing again. There are two chapters after this and for those who are worried about me not finishing—I plan on it so don’t worry! Enjoy!

Chapter 15: Loss 

_Derek_

Derek would be lying if he said he wasn’t frightened, because he was. The Sheriff scared him—as much as he didn’t show it, the man was probably one of the most intimidating people he had ever encountered. He was proud of himself for standing up to him, even if Stiles agreed with the Sheriff and asked him to leave. That had hurt Derek, but he understood. It hurt because he knew that Stiles needed his support, and Derek wanted to be there for him. He wanted to show Stiles’ father that he was here to stay, that he cared for his son—that they were in this together. He wanted to protect Stiles from whatever he was about to face. Derek also understood that it was a conversation Stiles needed to have on his own. Additionally, there was the fact that the Sheriff was so angry that any attempt to talk would have been met with aggression while Derek was still there.

Derek left, knowing that Stiles might follow shortly—in pieces Derek hoped he was able to pick up.

Laura was waiting up for him when he got home. He had forgotten so much had happened in such a short time, and Laura was immediately questioning every moment since they’d last spoken. Derek could only stare blankly, trying to figure out where to begin.

“Jesus Christ. _No fucking way_ ,” Laura swore when Derek said the Sheriff had walked in on Stiles and himself in bed together. She almost smacked Derek upside the head for falling for Kate’s tricks, but left the _‘I told you so’_ for another time, which Derek was grateful for.

“So what did he do?”   
  
Derek told her how enraged he was—how scary Stiles’ Dad was when he was angry, and that he definitely fit the title of “Sheriff.”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Laura asked, reaching over to Derek, grabbing his chin and turning his face from side to side.

“Nah, I thought he was going to pull out his gun for a second, but he’s too smart for that.” The Sheriff was too much of a level-headed man to commit a crime in the heat of the moment, which was why Derek was surprised when Stiles came to him the next morning, explaining that he had been given an ultimatum. It seemed like such an irrational thing for the Sheriff to do—Derek had expected more from him, to be honest.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my job.”

“I think you did, too,” Laura agreed. Derek didn’t know what to say anymore. It wasn’t like he was worried about what would become of him, because he was. He had money left from his parents’ life insurance that he and Laura could live off of for the rest of their lives—so money wasn’t the issue. It was just the fact that the last several years of his life had almost been a waste. It wasn’t like he could do absolutely anything with a degree in English and Education. Once word got out that he ‘preyed’ on one of his students, he could kiss any potential teaching job goodbye.

“What are you going to do?” Laura asked. Derek only shrugged—he really didn’t know. What _could_ he do? Teaching was always Plan A, he’d never had a Plan B. Laura hugged him in hope to bring some comfort and Derek appreciated it, feeling some of the tension seep out of his body.

“Is he worth it, Derek? With everything you’re about to lose?”   
  
The question coming from Laura had taken him aback a little. Laura had only ever been supportive when it came to Derek and Stiles’ relationship. Having her question what it was all worth sounded almost foreign coming from her mouth.

“He is,” Derek replied, looking Laura in the eyes—watching as she immediately understood what he was trying to communicate without words. They had lost so much in their life—they’d had to sacrifice _so much_ , and Derek didn’t want to give Stiles up without a fight. The younger man was the one for Derek, the only one, and he wanted to fight for that. He didn’t want to think about what it would be like to lose Stiles—the hole it would leave in his heart, right next to the one his parents left when they died. It would be too much for Derek. He knew that Laura understood that: wanting to fight for something you love, since it could be ripped away from you at any moment.

“I think he is, too,” Laura agreed, placing a kiss on Derek’s forehead. He couldn’t stop the smile that broke across his face. They parted ways shortly after that—Laura heading to bed and Derek doing the same. Stiles had texted him saying that he was okay, and at Scott’s. Derek couldn’t help but be surprised by this, not knowing the pair had made up. It was something that could have happened earlier, but he knew Stiles cared too much for Scott to not fight for their relationship. He was glad that they could both set aside what happened, and try to work towards something new. The timing couldn’t have been better, because Stiles was going to need a friend like Scott right now. Derek was okay with Stiles going to Scott instead of him: he knew it wasn’t a competition. He understood that Scott had something that he didn’t, and that it came from years of friendship. Derek hoped to be that person to Stiles as well someday, but everything was so new between them that Derek knew he couldn’t give Stiles everything he needed.

He had several nightmares that night. It had taken a while to get sleep initially, his thoughts never leaving Stiles—how he was feeling, or wondering what had happened with his father. Derek could only assume it didn’t go well. The dreams were basically all the same: Stiles leaving, telling him that he wasn’t worth it. All of the dreams different but with the same end game, except for the very last one: Stiles had died in the last one. Kate had shot him. Derek had woken up with tears streaming down his face, choking to catch his breath between the sobs, in a cold sweat.

He’d had dreams like this before, after his parent’s death. They lasted for months—every night had always been the same: Derek sat in the back of their car, his mother’s head whipping around to him right after yelling at his father to “watch out!” The terrified look on her face as she yelled for Derek to cover his head, when all he could see were the headlights of the oncoming transport truck filling the windshield. Derek hadn’t been part of the accident but that didn’t mean he never dreamt about it every night. Each morning he would walk up in the same state he was in, now: uncontrollable sobs coming from him, tears burning his eyes, a feeling of unease that he knew wasn’t going to vanish anytime soon. He still got them sometimes, when the anniversary of their death would come around—it was as if his mind knew it was coming, even when he didn’t consciously think of it.

Stiles had chosen that moment to show up, and Derek heard Laura bawl out at him. He tried his hardest to take a few steady breaths and get himself under control before he headed down to face Stiles—Derek knew the younger man would need him, now.

Stiles looked about as good as Derek felt—he could immediately tell that Stiles knew neither of them had a very good night. Once Laura cleared the room, Stiles told him the news—he couldn’t believe it. He had thought about the worst case scenario countless times, but even this was much worse than he had ever expected. Derek couldn’t believe that the Sheriff would ever force Stiles to make a choice like that but he had been most shocked by Stiles’ decision. It’s not that he wasn’t grateful, but Derek was surprised by Stiles’ strength and determination, the fight the younger man had in order to stay with Derek. He felt his stomach knot up and his chest tighten—he couldn’t believe how much he had grown to love Stiles.

Derek couldn’t help the guilt that seemed to overpower all of his senses. It was great knowing that Stiles cared enough to fight for him and make such extreme decisions, but he realized what Stiles would be giving up, as well, and the cost seemed too high. Derek knew that his job had been sacrificed, and as much as he didn’t like the Sheriff in that moment, the man was still Stiles’ father, and he wouldn’t ask Stiles to give that up for him.

Derek hadn’t realized that he had voiced his thoughts until Stiles snapped at him— a fury in his eyes that he hadn’t seen in the younger man before. Stiles declared it was his life and he wasn’t going to let anyone dictate how he should live it—that if he had to do it all over again, he would choose Derek, each and every time: it was always going to be Derek. Stiles had reminded him that they made a promise to each other—that they were going to make it work, but if it didn’t, it was because _they_ couldn’t make it work. It wouldn’t be because of anyone else: just the two of them. Derek had been so overcome with the love he felt for Stiles in that moment that he told the younger man how he felt—no matter how crazy it sounded.

When Stiles told Derek that he loved him, too, nothing else mattered. Not even the confirmation that the Sheriff was going to report him, or that Stiles and Scott had made up. Derek just needed to get his hands on Stiles; it was one thing to say that he loved him, but he needed proof, he needed to feel it. Derek had picked Stiles up and started towards his room, certain to avoid any eye-contact with his sister as he rounded the stairs.

It made Derek shake his head in disbelief for a moment—about an hour before, he was on the brink of feeling the worst he had for a long time. Now, in the exact same space and time, he was the happiest he’d even been—and in the arms of the man he loved.

* * *

Derek had woken up before Stiles later that morning. He had been nuzzled into the back of Stiles’ neck—the ends of the other man’s hair, which had gotten significantly longer over the weeks, tickling Derek’s face. The younger man was spooned up against him, Stiles’ back pressing close to his chest. Derek had never felt this content in his life. Making love to Stiles was something he was never going to get bored with. Derek found himself obsessed with trying to encourage every sound and response he could get from Stiles: he was addicted. Watching Stiles as his face flushed deeper shades of red, sweat breaking out across his skin—that sinful mouth ajar, moans escaping past his lips.

Derek heard rustling down in the kitchen, remembering that Laura was still there—probably fixing them something to eat, like the homemaker she swore she would never become. He got up gently, making sure to not wake Stiles—knowing he needed the bit of extra sleep after such a long day.

Derek turned the corner to the kitchen expecting Laura to be making some food— instead, she was sitting on the counter with her foot propped up, painting her toenails.

“Damn! I thought you were making breakfast,” Derek grinned as he walked further into the kitchen.

“Do I look like your personal maid?” Laura rolled her eyes and Derek smirked, shrugging his shoulders,

“Maybe.”   
  
Laura gave him an offended look as she reached over and smacked him playfully. “You’re happy!” she commented, poking the smile that hadn’t left Derek’s face.

“I am, surprisingly… Considering everything.” Derek agreed, leaning against the counter.

“Speaking of, how is Stiles?” Derek shrugged again.

“As well as can be expected, I guess. He’s got a brave face on. but it’s easy to see it’s just a mask. His father really hurt him,” Derek explained. Love-confessions aside, Derek knew Stiles was being eaten up on the inside. For all Derek knew, Stiles’ father was all he had left. The other man hadn’t mentioned any other family, and with his father out of the picture at the moment, it was really going to take a toll on Stiles.

“What was that man thinking—how fucking stupid is he? I’m sorry that he thinks you’re not the ideal choice for his son, but Stiles is still his son! You don’t do that to family, no matter _what_ happens,” Laura spat, anger written across her features.

“I am hoping this will all blow over in a couple of days, once the Sheriff gets over what he’s been dealing with and tries to contact Stiles,” Derek said hopefully. He knew the bomb that was dropped on him was a lot to work through, but he hoped that the other man realized his mistake and knew that he overreacted by kicking Stiles out of his house. “Things happen, and words are said in the heat of the moment—I think he just needs to come to terms with it all.”   
  
Laura nodded along, irritation still prominent on her face. “He’d better! If he doesn’t, he won’t want to see me coming down to tell him to smarten the fuck up… That’s his only son! He has the right to be angry and upset, but not do what he did... Stiles is supposed to come first! Always first.”   
  
Derek could only nod in agreement with Laura. Losing their parents did a number on them: especially Laura. There was a period where she was so overcome by grief that Derek had honestly thought he was going to lose her, too. It’s why she felt so strongly about what was happening with Stiles. Their parents were the most understanding and caring people Derek had even known. Whenever Laura saw someone mistreating their child, it upset her. Her idea of a parent is what theirs was: accepting, caring and always putting them first. Laura always had this romanticized idea of what a good parent should be. One thing Derek had learned was that, even though it was a nice idea and how things really _should_ be in the world, it wasn’t how they were.

“Does Stiles know anything about what the Sheriff is going to do when it comes to _you_?” Laura asked. Derek only frowned and nodded, immediately revealing exactly what she wanted to know.

“Oh, Der’—I’m so sorry.” Derek accepted Laura’s hug as she hopped off the counter and crossed the kitchen, pulling Derek in.

“It’s fine,” he muttered into Laura’s shoulder.

“It’s _really_ not! You don’t have to pretend with me,” she spoke softly.

“I’m not. It sucks and I’d rather not lose my job, but we both knew this was coming.” Derek released himself from his sister’s tight embrace, slightly regretting the choice and missing the comfort immediately.

“It’s not fair,” Laura pouted. Derek agreed—more than she would ever know. It really wasn’t fair, but Derek had to accept that life wasn’t fair, especially to him or his family. There was always a trade-off, one good thing for another, and there were never any concessions made for Derek. There was no way he could keep his job and have Stiles, too. Derek couldn’t have that much good in his life.

“Nothing in this life is free,” he replied—it was something that his father had always told him. He told Derek that no matter how nice the prize appeared, there was always a cost. To have Stiles, it would cost him his job. Derek just hoped that his gut was right about Stiles; that choosing him was the right decision.

“We’ve already met that quota, and you know it,” Laura replied with a bitterness in her voice that Derek didn’t hear often, but he agreed with her. Losing what they had lost was payment enough for anyone.

“Do you think they would be—” Derek began to ask the question before he really thought about the words that were coming out of his mouth. _Do you think they would be okay with what I’m doing with Stiles?_ Derek finished the question in his mind and chanced a look at Laura, reading the sadness in her expression, knowing immediately what he had been trying to ask.

“It can’t really answer that for you, Der’. I mean, I hope they would be okay with it. Losing your job for Stiles, throwing away those years of hard work for something like this...” Derek felt himself shudder at the thought of their disappointment in him, that they thought whatever he was doing was wrong—that he was making a bad decision. That they would think Stiles was too young, or that he was crossing too many boundaries.

“I don’t think they would get it. I mean, honestly, I didn’t, at first. I thought you were going a little crazy. But then, I saw you two together… I don’t think they would be able to ignore how happy he makes you.” Derek considered Laura’s words, but it still didn’t loosen the tight knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach.

“I know they would have loved Stiles, though—especially mom!” Laura giggled.

“Yeah?”  
  
Laura just nodded her confirmation. “Stiles has this _fire_ in him—an energy that mom would have thrived off of! He grounds you. He compliments who you are, because he is strong where you are weak. He’s just great for you, Der’, and mom would’ve seen it. She would have loved his sense of humour, too!”   
  
Derek felt his eyes starting to sting, watering at the thought of his mother and his boyfriend together. Imagining them in the kitchen—the one in their old house, laughing over some joke either of them had told, and then his mother roping Stiles into helping to bake something, laughing, happy.

“Their opinion wouldn’t have mattered, anyway,” Laura continued, snapping Derek out of travelling further on that train of thought—a dangerous one, considering how high his emotions had been lately. He didn’t want Stiles to wake to Laura trying to comfort a sobbing mess.

“Sure, you’d want their acceptance, but _your_ happiness isn’t based off of their opinions. It’s exactly what Stiles is going through right now with his father: his Dad didn’t like his choices, and Stiles told him ‘too bad.’ If mom and dad had disapproved, well then, it would have been ‘too bad.’” Laura shrugged and Derek couldn’t help but smile at his sister—pulling her back into another hug.

“Thank you,” he mumbled. Laura was right—Derek knew he’d want his parents’ acceptance, but it wouldn’t stop him from doing what he wanted in the end. They would’ve just had to deal with his boyfriend, Stiles.

“That’s what big sisters are for.”

* * *

Stiles made his way down over the stairs not long after Derek and Laura had finished talking. Laura had given in and made breakfast for Derek and Stiles—knowing that the smell of bacon was a good way to get anyone out of bed.

“Oh God, that smells heavenly,” Stiles mumbled, hugging Derek from behind. Derek was sitting at the kitchen table, already through his second helping of scrabbled egg.

“I made you breakfast,” Derek grinned, looking up at his boyfriend with a smirk on his face.

“Like fuck you did!” Laura called out from the kitchen. Derek’s grin widened and Stiles rolled his eyes, taking a seat to the right of Derek.

“Is there anything left, or did you eat it all?” Derek gave Stiles a look of mock offence.

“I poked away a plate before he ate it all,” Laura said, coming into the dining room from the kitchen, handing Stiles a plate and saying it should still be warm.

“What do you want to do today?” Derek asked, finishing the last bits of egg on his plate. Derek wanted to keep Stiles busy today, to keep his mind off things for a while.

“I actually had somewhere I wanted to go,” Stiles said. Derek raised an eyebrow?

“Where?”

“A surprise. There’s someone I want you to meet.” Stiles grinned slyly.

“Is it Scott? Just ‘cause I’m dating a high schooler doesn’t mean I want to befriend one,” Derek chuckled, and Stiles gave _him_ the mock offended look—at least he thought it was mocking.

“ _Hey!_ What if it was Scott? You know, I can’t help but be offended by this,” Stiles said, apparent hurt filling his voice. Derek immediately felt guilty, but it evaporated as soon as he caught Stiles sending a subtle wink to his sister.

“Yeah, Derek—a little harsh! You got yourself into this—young boys are the territory now,” Laura grinned. Derek rolled his eyes—the jokes have finally started. This would go on for the rest of his life.

“Hey,” Stiles shouted and smacked Laura’s arm.

“Where do you actually want to go, Stiles?” Derek asked again.

“I told you! It’s a surprise.”

Derek knew where they were going as soon as they turned down the worn-down road. It was one on the edge of town, the one that led down to the cemetery. Derek often found himself going down this road, visiting his parents whenever he felt that he needed to get something off his chest. Things he couldn’t admit to Laura, or wasn’t ready too—hoping for some guidance that he knew would never come, but always hoped for. Derek knew that they were heading to Stiles’ mothers grave, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that, exactly.

He felt like he was being let in on something very personal, a private part of Stiles that he let few people see. Normally, there were always some nerves when it came to meeting your partner’s parents, but this was a completely different and kind of surreal experience. Derek had already met the Sheriff (which was a disaster) but meeting the reminder of Stiles’ mother—the stone proof that she existed and was someone to Stiles—made something crawl uncomfortably under Derek’s skin.

There was so much uncertainty about it. Unlike the Sheriff, Derek would never know what Stiles’ mother thought about him. It was much like the conversation Derek had with Laura earlier: he would never know what his parents thought about their relationship, just as he would never know Stiles’ mother’s opinion. It unnerved Derek to think he was off to meet the marker of a woman whose opinions he would never know, only a memory now. If she’d accept their relationship, if she would be happy, upset, cautious, observing Derek until he met her approval—if there was ever someone good enough for a mother’s own child. Would she welcome him with open arms? Would she eventually see him as a second son to Stiles, and take him into their family? The last one made a lump form in Derek’s throat.

Derek had gone through his life not really caring what other people thought. He knew some of the other teachers at the school thought he was too young, and that he was too helpful, or he didn’t do things in the “old school” style they were used to. Growing up, he’d been the opposite of what people had expected him to be. Some took that with grace, others, not so much. It never bothered Derek—he had Laura. But being with Stiles changed the way he felt about that. He wanted the Sheriff to like him—to accept him, as a person worthy enough to be with his son. He’d even let it cross his mind that he would love Stiles’ friends’ acceptance of him—down the road, whenever they had made their relationship public. He wanted to know what Stiles’ mother would say about him, and that bothered Derek, wanting to be accepted and liked— wanting to know someone’s opinion of you, wanting someone important to Stiles to like you, to love you. The approval that he knew he was never going to get.

“Is this okay?” Stiles asked softly. Derek got the impression that Stiles clued in to how he had surprised Derek with this. He nodded to the other boy, giving ease to Stiles’ worries, even if Derek’s were bubbling up inside of him.

“I feel privileged that you want to share this with me,” Derek responded softly, taking Stiles’ left hand in his right—listening to Stiles’ directions while driving past rows and rows of headstones. Derek’s insecurities aside, it made him feel proud that Stiles was willing to make this step—a step Derek didn’t even think he would be able to make right now. He loved Stiles, but taking him to meet his parents—a place where Derek experienced such a conflict of emotions, happiness to downright misery—it was so private. It was a piece of Derek, one that he wanted to give to Stiles someday, that still needed time.

It wasn’t long before they reached the site that read _‘Claudia Stilinski.’_ Derek stood at the foot of the grave, watching as Stiles walked to the top, resting his hand on the headstone gently—like it was something precious.

“Hey mom,” Stiles smiled, kneeling down in front of the tombstone, brushing his hand against the invisible dirt along the face. “I brought someone with me today.” Stiles looked back, a small smile on his face but eyes so bright that it made Derek’s chest tighten up.

“His name is Derek. He’s the one I told you about a while ago.” Stiles chuckled and Derek couldn’t help but smile at that, knowing he had been a topic of conversation between them.

“If you could only see how handsome he is—I know you’d be impressed. I’m still in a state a shock that I landed such a hottie!” Stiles looked back at Derek and winked.

“A lot has happened in the past few weeks, since the last time I came and talked to you. Things are a little complicated. Dad—he’s…I don’t know. He’s not—we’re not okay,” Stiles continued and Derek stepped forward, placing his hand on Stiles shoulder and trying to reassure him, to provide some form of comfort, as Stiles tried to get his words out properly.

“In fact, he kicked me out.” Stiles’ voice caught, coming up short.

“He met Derek—well, walked in on me and Derek—which obviously isn’t the way I wanted them to meet, but it happened, and I think he had a bit of a meltdown. He didn’t approve of Derek, of us, and gave me an ultimatum: he told me that I either stayed in his house and followed his rules, or I had to leave.” Stiles took a deep breath—this one a little ragged.

“He told me you’d be disappointed in me, with the decision I was making for myself, and that scares me. I know I’m your son and I know that you’ll always love me, but you love him too, and he knew you—knew you in ways I didn’t, and what if he’s right, mom? What if you’d be disappointed in me? What if you thought that what Derek and I have was wrong, like he does?” Derek watched as Stiles slowly started to break—it was what he’d been waiting for Stiles to do, to get it out and release everything.

“ _I love him_! I love him in the way that you always told me you loved dad. How everything—the simple things, and the large things, always seemed easy; that there was this balance where it was more than just emotion! It was how you fit, and how it worked. I saw how you guys looked at each other, and I understand it. I understand now, because that how Derek looks at me, and it’s how I look at him. It’s like there’s no one else in the room, and it scares me. It scares me that I need it the way I do—need _him_ the way I do. I don’t understand why he told me it’s wrong—that I’m a child and that I don’t understand.”   
  
Derek squeezed Stiles’ shoulder, and he immediately grabbed Derek’s hand, gripping it tightly. Stiles was crying at this point, his breath coming out in sobs. It was hard for Derek to keep himself in check; his eyes were burning, tears threatening to spill. All he wanted to do was hold Stiles and will his pain away—will _everything_ away, so that it was just Derek and him, alone, where it would be safe.

“I’ll never know the truth—I’ll never know if he was right, because you’re not here to tell me and that isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that he can pollute my happiness and my love with the memory of you. It isn’t fair that you aren’t here to tell me the difference. It’s not fair!” Derek felt the raw tears slipping down his cheeks, without his control. He understood—he understood in so many ways that it felt like he was the one screaming—like he was the one who breaking.

“Now, I’ve lost him too. I’ve lost him too, and I can’t—I need him, just as much as he needs me. I lost you and I can’t lose him, too! I can’t lose him over one choice—over one, single moment where I did the right thing! Where I did the adult thing—I made the right decision for me, and he couldn’t accept that. I don’t want that to be it— _that_ _can’t be it!_ ” Derek sat back on the grass and pulled Stiles into his chest. The younger man turned and pressed his face against Derek, his sobs coming out in heaves, tears wetting his shirt.

“I’m sorry Derek—I’m so sorry.” Derek felt his heart seize, as Stiles sobbed apologies into his chest.

“Shhh. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Derek started to rock back and forth slowly, his arms tight around Stiles—telling him to let it out, giving him quiet words of comfort while trying console the younger man. Telling him that everything would be okay—that he was going to make it okay. Derek promised that he was going to make it okay. He meant every word of it—he was going to make things better for Stiles, and he didn’t care what it took. Derek was going to fix this.

* * *

Derek was pretty sure that Stiles would kill him if he knew where he was heading right now. Derek knew what he had do after their visit to Stiles’ mother—he had to talk to the Sheriff. It was a horrible idea, but something Derek knew Stiles was too stubborn to do. Stiles was convinced that their relationship was over, but Derek knew different. He knew that all he needed to do was knock some sense into the Sheriff—not physically of course, but to try and reason with the man— to make him realize the horrible mistake he had made.

It was why Derek was swallowing the lump in his throat, trying to work through the rising anxiety in his chest as he climbed the front step to Stiles’ house. After the cemetery, Derek took Stiles for a drive and they ended up at some diner for a little comfort food. They were pretty silent for most of the trip. It wasn’t awkward, but necessary—both men too lost in their own heads to really keep a conversation going. Derek had talked Stiles into doing some errands with Laura, while he went and talked to the Sheriff.

Laura thought that Derek was mad— _insane_ for doing this, but Laura didn’t understand. She didn’t see Stiles at the cemetery—it had torn him into pieces watching Stiles break down like he had, and now, Derek needed to do something to fix it. He knew he was partly to blame for this, that it was their relationship that was doing this to Stiles. Derek felt sure that if Stiles had introduced Danny as his boyfriend, the Sheriff would have welcomed him with open arms. Derek needed to try and fix things, because he sure as hell couldn’t make it worse then it already was.

The length of time it took for the Sheriff to answer the door after Derek knocked had felt like an eternity. He had almost turned around and walked back down the stairs. The Sheriff opened the door and Derek smelled the liquor immediately. The man squinted in the light from the open door, making the bags under his eyes become more pronounced. The sheen of oil across his face told Derek that he probably hadn’t washed lately, either.

“What do you want?” the Sheriff grumbled—more of a growl, at Derek.

“To talk—” The Sheriff immediately tried to slam the door in Derek’s face, but he caught the knob before he could close it and pushed it back open.

“About Stiles—your son? The one you kicked out of his home—I suggest you listen to what I have to say so you and you son can make amends, before your actions completely fuck that up, too.” Derek spoke calmly but sternly. It only seemed to anger the Sheriff more, his bloodshot eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he glared at Derek. He looked as if he wanted to argue back on principle. The older man just snorted, let go of the door and turned, stumbling back into the house. Derek took that as his cue to follow.

Once inside, Derek followed the man to the dining room, where he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows, emotionlessly indicating that Derek should speak—and probably quickly.

Derek began, “Sir,” literally fighting every urge to look away from the other man—the intimidation getting to Derek as angry eyes bored into him.

“Well, get on with it. You wanted to talk about my son—talk. If not, get the fuck out of my house,” the Sheriff ordered. Derek sighed, he was spending too much time trying to figure out the best way to say what he needed, but he knew the Sheriff wouldn’t have the patience for that. Derek just needed to _say it_.

“Your son needs you.” Derek spoke quickly—almost if there was a race to get it out.

“Yeah, well he should have thought about that before he packed a bag and left,” the Sheriff shot back defensively.

“He left after you gave him an ultimatum,” Derek supplied. The Sheriff rolled his eyes and Derek felt his annoyance with the man growing in the pit of his stomach.

“Why are you really here _Mr. Hale_?” The Sheriff snarked—saying Derek’s name sarcastically, like it was a joke.

“I’m here to tell you to get over yourself, go find your son and make amends.” Derek gritted out, noticing the look of surprise that flashed through the Sheriff’s eyes. There was no doubt that the older man could tell he intimated Derek—it was written all over his body language.

“Stiles needs you—you’re his father.”

“He made his choice!” The Sheriff bellowed, and it was time for Derek to roll his eyes.

“And what a mighty choice you gave him! _Me or you?_ You’re a father! You don’t make your own child pick between two people that he loves!”

“Well, he chose you, didn’t he?” The Sheriff said sarcastically, a scornful sourness coming through in his words.

“Only because you treated him like a child, when you should have treated him like an adult.”

“He is a child—HE IS _MY_ CHILD!” the Sheriff screamed, red-faced.

“Well act like it! He may be your son, but he isn’t a child anymore! You treated him like he was, “ _do as I say, or else.”_ You walked in on something you didn’t understand—something you probably still don’t understand even now, but did you stop long enough to listen to him? Or did you just spit orders, telling him what he had to do? We both know that you don’t just _tell_ Stiles what to do!” The Sheriff moved right up into Derek’s face.

“Don’t act like you know my son better than I do!” Derek took a step back, defensively putting his hands up—he didn’t come here to fight with the Sheriff.

“I’ve never said that I did—but you should have known not to back Stiles into a corner, like you did.”

“Well, if you didn’t take advantage of him, I wouldn’t have had to do what I did!” It took Derek a moment to reply—trying his hardest to calm himself down. He knew that the Sheriff was baiting him, and that he needed to keep his head on straight.

“I’ve never _once_ taken advantage of your son! Stiles and I didn’t take a step in our relationship until he, and I, thought he was ready to do so.” The Sheriff gave an exasperated sigh, the scent of liquor rearing its ugly head once more.

“You’re his teacher—you should have known better. He’s a student! There shouldn’t have been any relationship to begin with!”

“You’re right, you’re absolutely right. I _am_ his teacher, and I knew my boundaries. I tried to keep them intact, but I fell in love with your son anyway! I tried so hard not to, but he has this way of worming himself in and digging deep. I don’t regret that, Sheriff. I don’t regret falling in love with your son, or what I’m going to lose because of it. My only regret is what Stiles is going to lose—he’s already lost so much, we all have.”  
  
It was the first time Derek had heard the Sheriff sigh without responding angrily—he was starting to think that _maybe,_ something he had said was sinking in. He _hoped_ it was.

“He took me to visit your wife today,” Derek spoke softly, testing the waters with this topic, watching as a look of complete surprise spread across the Sheriff’s face.

“I sat and watched as he broke down. He asked her why his love was so wrong. He asked her why _our_ love was so wrong, when it reminded him of your very own love.” Derek felt his eyes start to burn, but he tried his hardest to push forward and will the tears away.

“He told her that he now understood, when she told him what it was like to be in love. He said that he understood, and then he asked her how that could be wrong. He asked if she would accept it—would accept him being together with me. If she would be disappointed in him, like you said she would.” Derek watched as the tears started to grow in the older man’s eyes. Derek wanted to stop—he could tell that this was hurting, but he needed to continue because the man needed to know this—it was about Stiles, and not him.

“He said it wasn’t fair that she wasn’t there to tell him the difference. That maybe you were right and she would think it was wrong, and maybe she _would_ be disappointed. I watched your son break down, crying over the fact that he had lost her, and now was going to lose you, too—how he couldn’t lose his father, too, because he needed you—just as much as you need him.”   
  
The sheriff covered his face as Derek saw a sob wrack through the older man. He looked at the table to the empty bottle of scotch, and Derek knew that the Sheriff needed Stiles—needed him to push through it all. The Sheriff needed Stiles until he realized there was a life outside his wife—that there was happiness outside, and not just his son, but with anyone he was willing to let into his life.

“He’s safe. He spent the night at Scott’s and came over with my sister and me this morning. I’m not sure where he’ll be staying tonight, but he’s welcome with me or with Scott. He’ll be taken care of.” The Sheriff took his hands down from his face, immediately wiping beneath his eyes.

“Sheriff,” Derek said trying to get the other man to look at him.  When the older man met his eyes, he continued on,

“Your son is not a child anymore. The sooner you realize that, the quicker things will get better between you two. Take the time you need to sort out whatever you need to; he’ll be looked after by me and my sister.” Derek took that as his cue to turn and leave.

“Derek,” the Sheriff spoke softly. Derek turned back and looked at the man, who he couldn’t help but pity a little—slumped shoulders, unkempt, with a defeated look across his face.

“Make sure he gets to school.” Derek nodded, even if he wouldn’t be allowed to step foot in the building, anymore. Derek started to turn for the front door but stopped, looking back at the Sheriff.

“You don’t have to like me, but there is a chance that I’m going to be a permanent part of Stiles’ life. We wouldn’t be going through any of this if he wasn’t serious about our relationship. When you’re ready— whenever that is, we’re going to need to find some middle ground—if not for us, for him.” Derek didn’t wait to see the Sheriff’s reaction; he turned and headed towards the front door.

Getting in the car, Derek knew he did his best and he honestly thought that he might have gotten the Sheriff to realize the error in what he’d done, and how he’d handled everything. All he knew was that he hoped it didn’t take too long for the Sheriff to seek out his son—Stiles didn’t need any more pain in his life, especially from someone who was supposed to love you unconditionally.


	16. Wanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Long time I know! I feel like these things always end up being a list of excuses but not today. For those who are worried about me not completing the story, don't fret-I will finish. If everything goes according to plan the next is the last one. I will finish, I just happen to be a busy person so it takes time to sit and write, which you all know intimately because you all wait so long for these updates. I just want to say thank you to everyone for reading and sticking with this story-it's been a long process but it'll be coming to an end soon. The earlier chapters are unbeta'd so I am currently going through them, revamping them slightly and getting them edited so it's a better read-not with all mistakes polluting everything. Thanks to everyone who commented. I always read them immediately, even if I don't respond right away- they keep me going. Big thanks to my bestie Richelle for being the beta for this chapter-you do an amazing job. Enjoy everyone and let me know what you think!

Chapter 16: Wanted

 

_Stiles_

 

Stiles tapped the wheel of the jeep nervously as he made his way to school. It was Monday morning and had just left Derek's after the whole weekend. Derek decided that it would be better if they both left separately, thinking it would look too suspicious if they pulled in at the same time… _Well_ , suspicious if anyone was looking for them. At this point, it could be a whole host of people, but it didn’t really matter to Stiles. He was sure that the school board and the Sheriff's department were waiting for him and Derek to show up.

The rest of the weekend had passed by in a surprisingly uneventful way. Stiles ran some errands with Laura on Saturday after he and Derek got back from their drive. He honestly didn't want to leave Derek’s side; he needed him, like that day in the car after the graveyard. Stiles had been talked-out and was done going through the motions of what had happened—all he really wanted now was the comfort of being by Derek's side, but Laura pushed and practically begged. Stiles had trouble turning the woman down after that. He hung out with Scott the next day, just catching up on the lost weeks that, in some ways, felt like months.

It felt good to escape with Scott for a while. Scott had the ability to take Stiles out of his head and place his focus elsewhere. He did it for Stiles when his mother died, and Stiles knew that Scott was doing it for him again now. Scott surprisingly asked how Derek was and admitted that it was going to be awkward seeing the teacher in the halls, knowing that he was dating his best friend. He told Stiles he might go have ‘ _the talk’_ with him, man to man. Stiles would love to have a front row seat to _that_ show: Scott trying to intimidate Derek? Stiles had laughed at the thought. 

He pulled into the school parking lot and immediately began searching for signs of a vehicle from the Sheriff’s department. Stiles released a breath he didn't realize he was holding when he discovered that the coast was clear—on the outside. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t anyone past the school doors, waiting for him and Derek. Stiles got his cell phone out once he’d parked the jeep in his usual spot. He fired off a text to Derek letting him know that the coast was clear (so far.)

Stiles grabbed his bag from the backseat, thinking back to the conversation he had with Derek last night. If they did get pulled into an office and questioned, what exactly would they say? Would they deny it? Would they admit to having a relationship? Stiles anxiously told Derek that they should deny whatever the authorities accused them of. Other than Stiles' father, there wouldn't be anyone to really testify about seeing them together. The only other people who had seen them were Kate and Laura. Laura would go to the grave with their secret, and Stiles felt that Kate could easily be discredited in a court of law. Derek had been silent for a while before he finally admitted that he didn't want to hide it—If Stiles' father _did_ decide to report Derek, he wanted everyone to know that he didn't believe their relationship was wrong, _because it wasn't_. Sure, there were boundaries as a teacher that he should never have crossed, but he _could_ legally date Stiles. Derek told Stiles that he wasn't going to feel guilt or shame for loving him, and that he wanted everyone to know it, especially the people who were going to cast judgment onto them.

Stiles didn't know how to respond, honestly feeling conflicted. Sure, he was flattered that Derek didn’t want to hide, but he could deal with hiding if it meant Derek got to keep his job. Hiding their relationship for a full year would be hard, but it would also be worth it in the end. But once he really thought about what Derek had said, he knew it was right. It was the principle of people accusing them, or Derek, of doing something wrong when that simply wasn't the case. Derek loved Stiles enough to put him first, instead of denying their relationship. Denial would make it out to be something that he was ashamed of—and that was not the case. 

Either way, Stiles hoped he didn't get bombarded as he entered the school because if this was going down today, he really needed to have Derek by his side.

* * *

Stiles was going to have an anxiety attack any moment, he was like a ticking time bomb. There was a weight on his chest that only got heavier and heavier in each passing moment, with him not knowing when it was going to become too much for him to handle. It was already the period before lunch and there was no word about anything. Neither he nor Derek had been called to the office and there wasn't a police car in sight. But he felt like it was only a matter of time before the confrontation happened, and Stiles was seriously tired of waiting. If they were going to turn his life upside down, Stiles wished they would get it done and over with. He had actually been tempted to call his father and tell him to hurry up, because the suspense of waiting was literally going to put him in the hospital. 

Stiles had ran into Scott several times on break and in between classes, and each time, the worry written in the lines across his forehead were deeper and more pronounced. Scott wanted Stiles to just go home and get some sleep—to separate himself from everything for a while. Stiles knew that it was probably the right thing to do, but Scott didn't understand that it would be worse for Stiles to just leave. He'd just sit at home and wonder what was happening back at school. As much as it didn't feel right, being in school and knowing it was coming was a lot better than sitting and waiting to hear the aftermath, wondering what was going on.

Stiles walked into Derek's classroom and immediately locked on to Derek's form, sitting at his desk, face resting in his hands. He glanced up, meeting Stiles’ gaze, and it took everything in him to not go over there and comfort his boyfriend. Derek looked about as good as Stiles guessed he looked, but probably felt worse since it was his job on the line, wondering if each class would be his last.

Stiles gave Derek a small, private smile—trying to convey that he was here for Derek, although he physically couldn't be. Derek returned it, lips curling a little before turning and looking back down at the lesson book in front of him.

Stiles took his seat across from Lydia, and while looking over at the strawberry-blonde, commented on how awful Derek looked.

"No worse than you right now," Lydia replied quickly, her voice hushed. "But you’ve got bigger problems than whatever is going on between you two," she continued quickly. Stiles opened his mouth to argue, because she didn't know everything that had transpired over the weekend, and whatever she was going to say definitely wasn't going to trump his soon-to-be shit show.

"I was over at Allison's last night for supper," Lydia said before Stiles had a chance to respond. "Kate came barreling through the door screaming profanities, yelling about how _they_ were still together. She barged into the dining room and sort-of realized that she wasn't alone, I guess, but when she looked at me—she literally _snapped_."

"Jesus, Lydia! Are you okay? What did she do?" Lydia held her hand up to silence Stiles.

"I'm fine, she didn't really hurt me, but she is sure as Hell going to be after you two— _especially you_ , and even worse than before. She ran across the room and grabbed onto my blouse, got right in my face and told me that," Lydia used finger quotes, " _'my little friend was going to get what was coming to him'_. The whole house exploded then, and Allison's father actually had to drag her out of the dining room."  
  
Stiles gaped at Lydia slightly, almost in disbelief for a moment, but the worried look across her face told him that she was telling the truth—and that it was something very serious.

"She's crazy, Stiles, and I don't mean the fun kind—she was deranged last night. This is starting to go above our heads; we're going to need to do something about her, and permanently, before she does something stupid and hurts you or Derek."  
  
Stiles took a minute to process what Lydia had said, knowing Kate had already tried to do that over the weekend by tricking Stiles and Derek in the park. He guessed that she knew now that her plan hadn’t worked. It certainly didn't surprise Stiles that she was going to step her game up and come after him, directly.

Since the start of this whole thing, it had always been about _Derek_ —even when she had approached Stiles, it was always just a move in her plan for Derek, to hurt him and test him. Now, she was coming after him and Stiles realized that this was no longer a game for Kate, this was real. She wasn't just trying to get some satisfaction by tormenting Derek—she _actually, desperately wanted him back_. And now, she was willing to go through Stiles in order to do that. He took a deep, controlled breath when the feeling of dread started to wash over him. The pair had hoped that Kate would believe she had broken them up—at least until things with Stiles’ father had blown over. _They were wrong._  

"That's not even everything, Lydia. It just adds to the mess that we're in right now." Stiles quietly explained how his father walked in on them over the weekend—that he got kicked out and now they were just waiting for his father to report Derek. And now, on top of everything, they had to deal with Kate once again.

Lydia contemplated everything Stiles had said and let out a loud sigh, "you're screwed." Stiles could only nod in agreement as he looked back up to Derek who was preparing to start the class. 

"I don't know if I should tell him about Kate… Not with everything else that's going on." Stiles could tell that Derek was reaching a breaking point with the stress he was under. He knew that Derek was putting on a brave face for Stiles _and_ for himself—trying to make them feel like everything was okay when they both knew it wasn't. Stiles just didn't have the heart to put any more chinks in the armor Derek had put up. It was his job to protect Derek too—it was just hard deciding how to go about doing that.

"I know you don't want to hurt him, but he deserves to know. This isn't the time for one of you to try and be a hero—you need to stay strong, together. Plus, it's only a matter of time before she tries something again—and if he finds out you were keeping something from him and one of you guys got hurt? He wouldn't forgive you for that. _I_ wouldn't, at least."  
  
Stiles sighed—he knew she was right, Derek deserved to know. Kate was such a wild card that hiding anything from Derek about her would give her the upper hand. They couldn't afford to give that away.

"Mr. Stilinski and Mrs. Martin—if you two are finished whispering back there—I would like to start my class." Derek spoke up and Stiles whipped around in his seat, facing forward and giving Derek an apologetic look.

Stiles spent most of the class lost in his thoughts, trying to find a solution—any solution—for the mess they had gotten themselves into. His father reporting them was inevitable; neither Stiles nor Derek could see a way of getting out of it. Kate was almost as worrisome as his father—someone who knew too much and could do a lot of damage, but the difference was that Kate was going to play dirty and do absolutely anything she could to hurt Stiles or Derek. It was like she was a cockroach that managed to stay alive, even with its head taken off. Stiles had no idea how to get rid of her, either. 

The bell rang for lunch, so Stiles waited for everyone to file out—Lydia telling him that she would meet him in the cafeteria, with everyone. He nodded before grabbing his things and heading up to Derek's desk.

"How are you holding up?" Stiles asked when everyone disappeared from the classroom.

"I could be better… Sick of waiting for it to happen—I just want to get it over with." Derek sighed, and Stiles hummed in agreement.

"Me too, I have been on the verge of a panic attack all day. I just want to move on and figure out what to do next," Stiles muttered and Derek sat up straight, concern displayed across his face as he reached forward to touch Stiles.

"We shouldn't do that here," Stiles took a step back, feeling a sharp pain in his chest when Derek froze and looked down at the desk, nodding and slowly moving his hand back towards himself.

"I know what you're going to say, but I’m fine—I’ve got Scott worrying about me every time I see him. I'm well looked after! If things start to get worse, I'll be sure to go to the nurse," Stiles continued and watched as Derek nodded solemnly. He had to shove his hands into his pockets to stop himself from reaching over to the other man.

"Um, there’s something else too, about Kate." Stiles started to say, but Derek sighed harshly, making Stiles flinch. "Uh, it can wait," Stiles backpedaled. "Let's just get through today and we can deal with that later," Stiles advised—to his surprise, Derek nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good to me. I don't think I could handle any more Kate drama on top of this—not with two classes left. Tell me when we’re home, if we ever get through this. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. We’ve gotten this far—what else can she really do to us?"  
  
Stiles only nodded. He really didn't know what else she could do to them, but he got the feeling that she was unstable enough to get _extremely_ creative.

"You should go, I’ve got to get to a meeting in a few minutes in the teacher’s lounge." Stiles nodded adjusted the strap on his backpack.

"I love you," Stiles spoke softly, just needing to get it out. He felt himself aching to touch Derek, to let him know that they were going to be okay—that they were going to make it through this, his father and Kate.

"Love you, too." Derek replied, a small smile spreading onto his face, a hint of light flickering back into his eyes, creating a warm fluttering in Stiles' stomach.

"Good, ‘cause that's all that matters right now. We got this!" Stiles smiled, trying to convince himself of his own words just as hard as he was trying to convince Derek. The other man only smiled and nodded before beginning to gather his belongings. Stiles took that as his cue to leave, waving goodbye and heading to the door.

He looked back as he reached the door, taking in the other man’s figure while he started shoving papers into his briefcase. They were going to pull through this. Stiles didn't know what kind of damage was going to be done, but he believed they were going to get through it. It was the one thing they were both sure about, regardless of what his father, Kate, or anyone did. Stiles trusted in their relationship to pull through whatever trials they were about to face.

_It had to_.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged on torturously slow, the kind of slow where you're in class and you feel like twenty minutes have passed, but you look at the clock and it's only been five since the last time you checked. 

Lunch had been uneventful, nice, considering that everyone was sitting together again, Erica included. Everyone accepted her like she had been there the entire time. Scott had been more worried than ever, but Allison managed to get him to ease off, with Lydia appearing to be unfazed. Stiles went through the motions throughout lunch and for the rest of the day. He spent his time looking out into the parking lot and at the clock, so when the final bell rang, he figured he'd be relieved that it was over. Honestly, he somehow felt even worse. Today had been bad enough, and then he realized they would have to do the same thing all over again tomorrow.

Stiles headed to towards his jeep at the end of the day, opening his phone to text Derek and let him know that he was going to meet him back at his place, when a call from his father came through. Stiles stared at the phone for a few brief moments, wondering if he should actually answer. He sighed and decided to click the ‘talk’ button—not wanting to speak to his father, but if the man was calling about him and Derek, he needed to know.

"Dad," Stiles stated flatly, trying to keep emotion out of his voice.

"Stiles… I'm surprised you picked up." His father’s voice came through the other line.

"Well, I figured it was going to be about Derek and me—I thought I would try and learn something from you, so I can tell my boyfriend when his career will come crashing down around him," Stiles replied, coolly. The Sheriff muttered Stiles' name under his breath.

"I need you to come to the station. We need to talk, you and me—about us. Not about Derek. 

"And if I'm not ready to talk to you yet?" Stiles challenged.

"Then I'll wait ‘til you're ready. You know where I'll be." The Sheriff replied simply, muttering a goodbye before hanging up. Stiles sighed heavily, leaning against his baby.

He was hurt. He was still hurting after what his father had said and done, and he didn't want to talk to him. He didn't want to fix things—he wanted to be angry because he _deserved_ to be angry.

Stiles thought of Scott, then. He _thought_ he deserved to be angry with Scott, too. He didn't bother to talk to his friend, and where did that get him? _Nowhere._ It had actually made things worse, because even though the situation was different between him and his father—the amount of time that Stiles let things go had only made things worse. 

Stiles cursed under his breath and looked at his phone clutched in his hand. He fired off a text to Derek telling him that his father called and wanted to talk—that he was going to head down to the station to see what the man had to say. Stiles got into the jeep and turned it on. _He didn't have to forgive his father, just like he didn't have to forgive Scott._

…He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He was angry, _fuck,_ he was a lot of things, but he knew that in order to move forward he was going to have to hear his father out. It wasn't going to magically fix everything—he and Scott were still trying to put pieces back together, but it was a step. His father had reached out and instead of batting his hand away like he wanted to, he was going to listen to what his father needed to say. There were no guarantees, but at least it was a step forward.

* * *

Walking into the Sheriff's station seemed almost foreign, which was an odd feeling for Stiles, because it had always felt like a second home—but it was really his Father’s home. The deputy at the desk waved politely at Stiles and told him that his father was in his office and to walk right in. Stiles murmured a thank you and headed off.

When Stiles entered the office, his father was on the phone and he held one finger up to signify that he was going to be another minute. Stiles took a seat in front of the desk, slouched down and sighed. He really didn't want to do this; he wanted to get up, run out of the office and deal with things another day.

"Glad to see you came, Stiles," his father spoke as his hung up the phone.

"Glad to see you sober." Stiles returned, not thinking about the words that slipped out of his mouth. He watched as his father tensed for a moment, lips pursed into a thin line across his face. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked quickly, giving his father no time to reply.

"I wanted to talk about what happened on Friday." His father said scratching his head—a telltale sign that he was trying to figure out just what he wanted to say, and having trouble coming up with the right words. Stiles thought it was pretty simple: _apologize for being an ass._

"I said a few things Friday that I regret," The man finally spoke; there had been a lot of things said on Friday. Stiles decided to remain silent and wait for the other man to continue. 

"I _was_ justified in my reaction, considering what I walked in on… But I could have handled a few things a Hell of a lot better." The Sheriff spoke slowly, trying to pick the right words because he knew Stiles—he knew Stiles was going to rip whatever he had said apart. 

_"You think?"_ Stiles snorted. He could feel everything starting to bubble under the surface, make his skin crawl, ready to explode and start spilling out. 

"Please, Stiles! I'm trying to apologize here—to own up to it and be a man." Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Which parts are you trying to own up to, Dad? Huh? All of it or just those ‘ _few things?’_ ” Stiles spat his father’s words right back at him. It was a lot more than just a few things that Stiles' father needed to own up to. 

"Are you trying to apologize for treating me like a child, or for telling me that I'm so naïve that I wouldn't know if I wasn't being taken advantage of? Or what about when you made it about yourself, saying that people wouldn't trust you to keep the town safe, if you couldn't keep _ME_ safe?" The Sheriff opened his mouth to respond but Stiles never let the words escape his lips.

"How about when you ignored _every word_ that came out of my mouth when I tried to explain things? When I pleaded with you to understand—to make you understand that this wasn't just _some ‘thing,’_ that it was a _real relationship_ and that what Derek made me feel was real? All you could do was order me around, and forbid me to see him!" Stiles took a deep breath; his skin was burning hot, heart pounding in his ears—eyes starting to burn.

"What about when you told me Mom would be disappointed in me?" Stiles' voice broke. "You don't think I didn't know what you'd think? What other people would think? That they wouldn't understand, or that they’d think it was wrong? But telling me she would be disappointed—that she'd think it was wrong, you can't fix that! You can _never_ make up for that!" Stiles stopped trying to hold back the tears and just let them come.

"Are you going to apologize for every moment of weakness that I have when I think in the back of my mind that she would be disappointed—that she’d think this thing between Derek and me was wrong, no matter how good and how right it felt? How can you apologize for that? She’s not here to tell me any differently! She'll never tell me how proud she is of me, because I found someone like him!"  
  
Stiles watched the Sheriff wipe the tears from his eyes and it took him a moment to realize that he was now standing in front of his father’s desk. He wiped his face with his shirtsleeve and sat back down, hunched forward and face cradled in his hands.

"Son," the Sheriff spoke after a long pause, his voice thick. "I was wrong." Stiles heard his father get up from his chair, walking around the desk and pulling the adjacent chair closer.

"Stiles, _please_ look at me." The Sheriff grabbed his son’s hands from his face, keeping them in his and gripping them tightly, encouraging Stiles to look up. Stiles blinked at his father through his blurred vision. His father’s face was wet with tears, his eyes red with a look of regret that almost made Stiles too uncomfortable to keep his gaze.

"You are right," the Sheriff paused. "You're not a child and I'm sorry, _I'm so sorry_ I treated you like one. When I saw you and Mr. Hale—I felt like you were being robbed of something, of your innocence, and that he stole it from you. I was so blinded by the need to protect you from what he had done, I just couldn't hear you, couldn't process what you were trying to tell me. That it was something you both had done—not just him."

"But please, _please_ promise me that you’ll never think your mother would be disappointed in you. If she would be disappointed with anyone, it would be me, because you’re right—I've been so lost without her. So lost, that it took me a long time to realize that I didn't have to be alone through it all. I didn't have to protect you from anything, because there is no protection from something like that, like losing your Mother. I am ashamed that I couldn't be there for you in the ways that I should have been, both after her death and a few days ago. I was so focused on what _I thought_ was right, but not _right for you_ and _what you needed_. I didn't listen and I reacted badly. I was wrong—not you."  
  
Stiles had never seen his father so raw with emotion before in his entire life. He felt himself become overwhelmed at the usually so guarded man baring everything to him, as he continued on,

"She would be so proud of you. You turned into everything we ever talked about you becoming: a strong, independent young man who loves with everything he has and isn't ashamed to show it, or let himself believe that it is a weakness. A man that fights for the things he believes in, the people he loves and who defends what he knows to be true and right; someone who is smart, loyal and braver than she could have ever imagined. Please don't ever let what I said in the heat of the moment make you think that she wouldn't be anything less than proud of you. I was trying to protect my little boy, my child so badly that night that I couldn't see the grown man in front of me, and I am truly and eternally sorry for that."  
  
Despite what Stiles had said earlier, he felt a weight come off his chest, relief flooding throughout. He felt that maybe his mother wouldn't think he was wrong—that his and Derek's love wasn’t wrong.

"Where does that leave us?" Stiles asked after a long moment.  He looked up at his father, who looked as raw as Stiles felt in that very moment. He didn't know where that left them. He wasn't okay with his father, and he knew he wasn't going to be okay for a while—not until he could process things and figure out how he felt. He was still so angry and hurt and he just couldn't just turn that off, couldn't forget it—the situation with Scott was different. He had been angry but he’d had the time to work through it. There was also a difference between two friends slowly drifting, and your father kicking you out of your home.

"I don't know, son," his father admitted halfheartedly.

"You are welcome back home, it's yours and has always been yours. I should have never told you to leave. But if you need to stay at Derek's for the time being, I understand that as well." Stiles nodded. He wasn't planning on going back home with his father, not yet. Things needed to be better, needed to feel better. He didn't feel welcomed, anymore.

"What about Derek? Why haven't you reported him already?" Stiles finally asked. He needed to know, he just couldn't go through another day like today—and neither could Derek. His father sighed, finally getting up and returning to his desk.

"If I report him, what does that mean for us?" His father asked cautiously. Stiles honestly couldn't answer. He really _didn't_ know what it meant for them, if they could get past it or not. Stiles had expected it to be done already, either way. It didn't change anything.

"It means you’re doing your job as the Sheriff," Stiles stated simply.

"… _But?_ "

"But, not your job as my father." Stiles caught his father’s gaze and kept it. He understood that Derek wasn't the ideal partner, to his father—for his career and for his son, but he was ideal for Stiles and that should be enough.

"You realize what you’re asking me to do, Stiles?"

Stiles knew. He knew that his father wasn't perfect but had a strong set of morals—and that Derek and his relationship was going against everything his father believed in.

"I’m not asking you to do anything. I expected you to have done it already," Stiles said, his voice, hardened.

"But you are asking, Stiles. You know you are."

"Dad, I realize that my relationship with Derek is difficult for you to understand and it's something, I realize, that you may never understand. It's not your job to get it. It's your job to support me and my choices, even though you may never agree with them." Stiles tried to explain—maybe he could reason with his father.

"This is different, Stiles."

"Is it really? If Derek wasn't a teacher, would that make the difference? What about if he was a year or two younger? ‘Cause those things don't matter, Dad." Stiles leaned forward, his voice losing the forcefulness it had earlier and turning into something softer.

"He’s a great man, Dad—he is a good person. You’re punishing him for loving me. That's his crime: loving your son and sticking by him despite what he's about to lose." Stiles shook his head gently.

"Do whatever you feel is right. I can't ask you do anything more." Stiles sighed, looked at his father and gave him a weak smile, starting to stand and leave the office to head back to Derek's.

"Nobody else knows?" His father spoke up, and Stiles gave him a confused look.

"If I look the other way—if I pretend that I didn't walk in on you two… And no one else knows, you two can go on pretending, like you have been." Stiles couldn't believe what he was actually hearing.

"Are you saying that you're not going to report Derek?" Stiles asked, keeping his gaze until he saw him nod. Stiles still couldn't believe it.

"It _has_ to stay a secret until after graduation. If I hear even _a whisper_ about it, Stiles, I will not hesitate to make that call. And I don't want him around the house." Stiles’ smile halted at his father’s words.

"Don't give me that look, Stiles," his father responded. "I don't understand your relationship, so until I can work through it and accept you two—it just can't be in my face, is all." Stiles nodded. He didn't like it, but he understood. He knew better than to fight this, so he needed to take this victory as it was.

"I understand. I'll let Derek know what you’re doing." Stiles nodded at his father, finally getting ready to leave. He didn't know what the etiquette in the situation would be—Stiles was happy with his father’s decision but it still didn’t change what happened. It helped that he was trying to make things better, but what’s done was done, and he didn’t know where, exactly, they stood with each other. 

"Stiles, don't mistake this as me doing Derek a favor. It's had nothing to do with Derek—I'm doing this for you and for us." Stiles nodded, swaying awkwardly in front of his desk. He didn't know what to do from there, and he felt helpless. He wanted things to be better between him and his father—he wanted to show his father how thankful he was, but it just didn't feel right. Stiles couldn't tell if it was his pride, or his feelings, or the whole thing.

"Dad," he started to speak, but didn't know what to say after that. He couldn't put what he was feeling into the right words, if there were even words for it.

"Thank you, for what you’re doing for me—and for Derek, even though he isn't the reason. I can understand it is hard for you, to do this and ignore this, so I just want to say thank you for that." The sheriff nodded and motioned for Stiles to continue, sensing that he had something else to say.

"It's going to take time, for me to—get past what I'm feeling, to accept everything and work through it. I forgive you, for what you've done and said—but I still need time. It doesn't fix everything, as much as I want it to." Stiles tried to explain and the Sheriff only nodded and smiled a sad smile.

"I understand, son. You know where your home is—and it's always going to be there when you are ready to come back to it." Stiles nodded, giving his father a small smile before turning around to leave.

Stiles froze, something catching his eye on his father's bulletin board. He felt a cold dread come crashing down over him. 

"Stiles?" His father questioned, an intonation of concern in his voice. Stiles pointed to the police sketch tacked above several memos.

"I know who this is," he said almost breathlessly. Stiles reached forward with shaky hands, pulling down the sketch of Kate and turning around to face his father.

"We need to get Derek here, now," Stiles managed to find his voice, hands tightly clutching the ‘Wanted Poster’ in his hands—Kate's dead eyes staring up at him.

 

_“Kate Argent_

_Wanted for murder.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I Hope you guys enjoyed! Leave me a comment and tell me what you think! :)


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